


Promises (I Am Intended To Keep)

by Ayearandaday



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: 99 percent that rating won't change, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BB is a child, BB is adopted, Canonical Character Death, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff to come, Getting to Know Each Other, Halloween Costumes, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's Anakin, Leia is prepared to intervene, Lor San Tekka is too smart, Marriage, Marriage of Convenience, Nothing explicit, Poe loves his boss, Porgs are family mascots, Protective Ben, Protective Rey, Rey's career is cooler then Ben's, Ring shopping, Slow Burn, The author tags as she goes, This is a happy story despite the angst in early chapters, angst in the beginning, can't smut for the life of me, meet BB, so is phasma, the Solos are into pajama parties, though they show it differently, why don't you all just talk?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2019-11-18 10:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18118766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayearandaday/pseuds/Ayearandaday
Summary: Anakin Skywalker’s dying wish is to right the wrongs he caused, particularly to reconcile with his long-lost friend Benjamin Kenobi. Ben Solo (or, as he is known now, Kylo Ren) wants to finish what his grandfather started and to save his company from mismanagement. Rey Johnson wants to rescue a child from abusive foster parent. Maybe they can help each other?





	1. Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> Me, a huge lover of fluff and HEA: “I should try to write a fluffy multichapter.”  
> Also me: proceeds to write the angstiest thing she’s ever written.  
> Seriously, it just happened. But I promise that this is the saddest chapter in the whole story and the rest will be fluffier and fluffier (I’ve already outlined it to the end). Trust me, HEA is guaranteed.  
> Also for some reason I really struggled with both grammar AND vocabulary (usually it’s just grammar, my punctuation is truly atrocious and don’t get me started on tenses), so when you spot a mistake you have my full permission to hit me with a dictionary. Or drop a comment, whatever you prefer.

_“Please, Ben,” the rest was drowns into heavy coughs.  Wrinkled hands grasp the sheets. The old man_ _bends in half from exertion. A steady hand supports his back. A glass of water is pressed to his lips. He drinks. The cough abates. He knows that it’s not for long. He is not just sick, he is dying. The thought doesn’t worry him anymore. He is old, and ill, and weary and ready to go. He has nothing and no one in this world except for the young dark-haired man who is looking at him with desperate brown eyes, so similar to his grandmother’s. Soon, Padme, soon._

_“Better?” asks his grandson with a frantic note to his voice. Poor boy. Leaving him alone in this world is his main regret, one of many others. He gives a shaky nod. Drinks more water. He needs his voice back. He must say it._

_“Ben,” he tries again. “This is probably the last time we are talking.”_

_“No, grandfather, don’t say that,” the boy interrupts, his eyes full of misery._

_“You know it’s true. Please, listen. I understand if you can’t change First Order. I understand if you can’t reconcile again with my… them. But I can’t leave my life with this guilt on my conscience. Please, Ben, promise me just one thing. Please.”_

 

“Hello, grandfather,” greeted Ben, “I missed you”. Anakin didn’t answer. They buried him on a cold February day with only him, his nurse and Ahsoka attending. Now the grave was covered in cheerful July grass. Even half a year later he still felt the loss acutely. The headstone was simple, only name and dates: Anakin Skywalker, 1944 – 2019. It was his own wish to avoid clichés like ‘Beloved husband and father’, not that he had any right for that one. Ben did everything in his power to pay due respect to the only person who had ever wanted him for him.

He carded his fingers through his hair, a nervous gesture he’d never got rid of.

“I… I’m sorry. I can’t finish what you started. I’ve been trying so hard, but my hands are tied. First Order is going to collapse because of Snoke and I can’t do anything. Things have gone too far. It is my fault, I know, at least part of it. I should have done something earlier. Now there is high chance that hundreds of people will lose their jobs because I was a coward. So much for your empire.” Ben laughed mirthlessly.

“My mo… Leia, your daughter, she called to invite me for a dinner. Well, guilt-trip is more fitting. We fought again. She said I have too much of you in of me. Funny, it’s you who made me talk to her again.” He raked his hair again.

“And Kenobi… Grandpa, I think you have better chances to ask for his forgiveness than I do. We can’t found him, I don’t think he is still alive. There is no a proof yet, but Ahsoka is looking into it. I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do. I’m so lost. I just wish I had someone to talk to.” He bowed his head. The cemetery was silent. Somewhere in the distance passed a car. Birds chirped in the sky. The sun shined brightly. A twig snapped behind him. Ben sharply turned around.

An elder woman purposefully walked to him. Even in her mid-sixties her movements were graceful and precise. Her figure was lithe, her heavy black braids showed little of silver, only wrinkles on her olive skin showed her true age. Ben knew little of her origins, though her features indicated a heavy impact of Native American and Asian blood.

“Miss Tano,” he acknowledged her.

“Ahsoka,” she habitually corrected him. “I’m not that old.”

“How long have you been standing here?” The woman shrugged.

“Long enough.” She took in his expression, “Oh, don’t worry, I have seen my fair share of moping Skywalkers.”

“I’m no Skywalker,” Ben answered defensively.

“No, of course not.” Ahsoka smiled sadly. “Ben, it’s OK. You are allowed to grieve over him. It’s normal. I miss him too.” He tiredly closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped on you.”

“I told you, it’s OK.”

“Why are you here?” The woman shrugged.

“You mean why I’m visiting the grave of my friend and mentor?”

“You haven’t talked to him for, like, thirty years.” It came out more accusatory than Ben intended. Ahsoka winced.

“Thirty-four. Just because I didn’t condone his life choices doesn’t mean I love him any less. Anakin is very special person to me. He always was, always will be. I was there for him in the end, this is what counts.” Her calm voice was at odds with white-knuckle grip on her folder. The truth of her words prompted a stab of guilt.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“No, you are not,” she huffed. “You see, Ben, your problem is that you, just like your grandfather, deal in absolutes. All or nothing, no middle ground. But there is a catch – the world is not just black and white, it’s all shades of grey. It was Anakin’s undoing. It could be yours if you get it later rather than sooner. Not that you are interested in listening to old woman telling you how to live your life. Anyway,” she continued lightly, “I’m here to see you.”

“On the cemetery?” deadpanned Ben.

“It’s not like you have a lot of other places to be. You are either at work, and I’m not setting my foot in that place, or here, with Anakin. Not the one for socializing, huh?” He gave the woman a side-eye.

“You could have caught me at home,” supplied Ben.

“Oh, really? You are only sleeping there, and let me tell you, not for proper eight hours, like any normal person. And I’m not that young anymore.” He sighed. Ahsoka was, as always, right.

“What do you want?”

“Straight to business? I like that,” corners of her lips curled into barely there smile. The woman held a dramatic pause. “I’ve found Benjamin Kenobi.”

“What?! Seriously? How? When? Where is he?”

“Hathersage, Great Britain,” answered Ahsoka looking him in the eye. “Buried at the local graveyard beside his wife.”

“Oh no.”

“Ben, you knew it was a high possibility. He would have been ninety-two this year,” she said sympathetically. “Anakin knew it as well.” Ben nervously ran his hand through his hair.

“I hoped… He wanted… It was his wish to talk to Kenobi. What do I do now?” He asked with detachment. Ahsoka handed him her folder.

“Here. Everything I found.” He looked through the papers. _Sir Benjamin Obiwan Kenobi, deceased. Spouse: Satine Kenobi, Lady Kryze, deceased. Son (adopted): Jason Kenobi, deceased._ His eyes caught separate words: _runaway, drinking, gambling, overdose_. None of it made sense.

“Why are you making me go through this?”

“Look closer.” And he did. _Jason Kenobi, deceased. The last known associate: Anna Fry, deceased. Next of kin: Rey Johnson, daughter._

Ben turned the page. There it was. _Granddaughter:_ _Rey Johnson, 21. Current residence: Coruscant. Occupation: engineering student, Coruscant University._

There was also a blurry photo of a dark-haired girl with eyes that looked too old for such a young face. Ben quickly scanned the page. _Abandoned, malnutrition, foster care_. The girl grew up in the system, just like her father, except that she was never adopted. The last Kenobi probably had no idea who she was.

“You see? This is the closest you can get to the old man, and you don’t even have to go across the pond.”

“Lucky me,” he mumbled. Ahsoka looked pointedly at him.

“Ben, let me give you an advice. Go find this girl, talk to her, apologize, do what you must to finish this, but that’s it. The past is in the past, leave it be. It is dead. You are not. Go live your life, that’s what Anakin would want for you,” she finished gently.

“Easy for you to say,” he snorted humorlessly.

“You know, this is my last assignment. One must always know when to stop. Skywalkers never did,” the woman smiled sadly. “You have everything you need, Ben. You know what you have to do. Good luck.” She patted his hand and disappeared as silently as she came, leaving him alone on a sunny-lit cemetery.

 

“Rey, second table,” called a dark-haired waitress from behind the counter.

“On it, Jess.” She barely suppressed a yawn. Wednesday shifts were the worst. Early morning classes topped with late-night Tuesday shifts already left her exhausted and several hours of customer service did nothing to help. Not that Rey was complaining, after all, extra working hours meant extra money and her scholarship didn’t cover such expenses as food or clothes. Beggars can’t be choosers.

Today’s shift wasn’t particularly busy. A bunch of kids with milkshakes, a few locals on their preferred spots, nothing out of ordinary. The second table, though, accommodated a couple of college jocks. Rey detested this particular kind with their crude jokes and absolute conviction that they are God’s gift to womankind. As expected, on her mandatory ‘what can I get you?’ she got, “Two beers and your number, please,” and dumb laughs.

“Two beers are coming.” The jocks scowled.

“Hey, don’t be like that. My friend asked you nicely.” Rey gritted her teeth.

“Your order will be delivered soon.”

“Wait!” The jock tried to grab her wrist. She yanked her hand away with a hiss.

“Let me go!”

“Rey, my office. Now.” The request (more like a demand) came from Maz, a short dark-skinned woman sporting huge coke-bottle glasses.  Rey’s heart sunk. Whatever her boss wanted, it wasn’t promising.

“I’m sorry, Maz, I shouldn’t have lost my patience with the patrons,” she mumbled as soon as she entered. Not that she was really sorry, she just couldn’t lose her job. Her boss blinked at her owlishly.

“What? No, dear, that’s not why I asked you here. You know that I do not reprimand my employees for standing for themselves.” Oh, well then.

“No? Than how can I help you?” Rey asked curiously. Maz sighed.

“Please, sit down. You kids are too tall nowadays.” For some reason Rey had bad feeling about the discussion. “I want to talk about the Organa orphanage.” The girl jerked her head. Maz rarely mentioned it at work, but she was one of the most active volunteers who helped there. Actually, that was where the two of them met the first time.

“Did I do something wrong? Was there any complain?”

“Oh, no, nothing of that sort. I just wanted to let you know that the state decided on a foster parent for one of the kids,” explained the older woman.

“OK. That’s good thing, right?” The blank expression on her boss’ face was unsettling. “Maz? Is something wrong?” The woman fidgeted in her seat.

“You see, Rey…”

“Wait, who they have picked? And why did you say ‘parent’, singular?” Maz sighed wearily.

“BB.” Rey gasped.

“Are you kidding me? You can’t just hand him down after everything he had been through! He barely started sleeping through the night!”

“That’s not our decision to make! We are not even employed there,” snapped back Maz. Rey took a deep breath.

“OK, who is taking him?” A pained expression gave the older woman away.

“Rey…”

“Who, Maz? Tell me. Who BB is going to live with?”

“Plutt.”

“What?!” she jumped out of her seat. “What the actual fuck?! Are you telling me that you are going to send a five-year old, who has already faced neglect and abuse, to live with Plutt?! What’s wrong with you?!” Rey snarled.

“What is wrong with me?! Do you really think we could just let it happen? We did every single humanely possible thing, both me and Akbar, but the bastard has connections and he called in some favors. Nothing can stop it, unless Plutt gets a brick to his head or BB gets adopted. We tried everything,” retorted Maz.

“Then you should have tried harder!”

“And you shouldn’t have gotten attached to the kid. We warned you. It’s life, Rey. Sometimes we can’t stop bad things from happening, no matter how hard we try,” the elder woman tried to reason her.

“Watch me,” snapped Rey before storming out.

She mechanically worked through her shift, her mind otherwise occupied. Rey was never one for lamenting her grieves, no, she attacked her problems until she find her way out. That was what helped her through foster system, that was how she survived Plutt and got into Uni. And that’s what was going to help BB. Rey might be no one and nothing but she knew a couple of people. Poe, being a commercial pilot, had all sorts of connections and Rose’s sister Paige served in Air Force. She just needed to try hard enough. The girl barely noticed how much time had passed until Jess grabbed her sleeve trying to catch her attention.

“Earth to Rey.”

“What?”

“A patron is asking for you,” winked her co-worker. “Have you got yourself a boyfriend?”

“Um, no? Why?” asked befuddled Rey.

“You sure? Tall, Dark and Handsome and, like, really big. And kinda hot. And he knew your name. Your _first and last_ name. Well, if you are not interested, could you, please, take his number for me?”

“Yeah, sure,” she answered distractedly while eyeing the booth in the back that Jess pointed out. It was difficult to discern something from the distance apart from a mane of dark hair. Rey moved closer. The patron was looking out of the window and she used a moment to take him in. Jess was right, he was big, not just tall, but also broad-shouldered. His sheer bulk should have made her uncomfortable but it did not. Maybe it was because of the way he slightly hunched as if he was afraid of taking too much space. His facial features were partially obscured by his hair, though, judging from what she could see, he was definitely on the attractive side. His glorious hair was shoulder-length, wavy and black, matching his clearly custom-made suit. Why would this man ask for her? They definitely had nothing in common. Rey cleared her throat. His head snapped back.

“Rey Johnson?” It came more like a statement than a question. She shivered under intensity of his gaze.

“Yes. And you are?”

“Kylo Ren.” She mentally snorted. The name was screaming fake.

“OK, Mr. Ren, what would you like to order?” The man blinked.

“I was hoping we could talk?” Rey wasn’t sure she wanted to.

“I’m working. Is this a business matter?”

“A personal one. Please, just five minutes.” Something about his tone caught her off-guard. Men like him usually were dominating and assertive, Ren somehow did not. She considered him for a moment.

“Let’s do it this way: you make an order, then I’ll speak with you.” His hunched shoulders relaxed a little.

“Coffee, black.” Not surprising considering his general demeanor.

“Just coffee?”

“Yes, please.” Rey nodded and stride back to the counter. Jess looked at her curiously.

“Is everything OK?”

“Yeah, I’d like to take my break now.” The girl shrugged.

“Sure, Hon.”

Rey put a tray with a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. “On the house,” she responded to his questioning look. Ren made no move to take either, just scooted further into the booth to make space for her. Rey chose to ignore it.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” The man looked at her intently.

“Do you know Benjamin Kenoby?” Of all possible questions this was the least expected.

“A scientist? He was into engineering, aeronautic engineering in particular. Also British, I think. Why?” she asked with confusion. Ren kept studying her face.

“Do you know anything about your family?” Oh. _Oh._

“No, why are you asking?” He looked at her with unreadable expression.

“I think you need to sit down. Read this.” The man slide inconspicuously looking black folder to her. Rey grabbed it and took a seat across him.

It is strange how a whole life could be reduced to a few shits of paper. There in brief phrases was stated a whole life of Sir Benjamin Kenobi, his origins, his career, his works, his title, his marriage, his family. There was a photo of a handsome older gentleman in tweed posing with an elegant dark-haired woman. _Satine Kenobi, Lady Kryze_. Who were all these people? Deep down Rey suspected an answer. She kept looking further.

Another photo showed a couple with a boy. Jason Kenobi, an adopted son. He had his own file, the photo showing young attractive and somewhat unkempt man arrogantly smirking on camera. Nothing about him seemed familiar. He had rather turbulent life, comparing to his parents. Addictions, criminal records, a bunch of love interests, severed connection with his parents. At some point he met a certain Anna Fry, young, attractive and a fellow addict. Together they had a child. A girl, who, according to the documents, they left at the liquor store as a bail until they return with payment. They never did. Eight month later both of them died from overdose.

That was not how Rey imagined meeting her parents. She liked to think about teary embrace when she younger, a long-lost princess of a usurped country. She imagined giving them a piece of her mind in her teenage years, a product of destitute multi-child family which couldn’t take care of another hungry mouth. Later she embraced the fact that she might pass her parents on a street and not recognize them. But that…

“They traded me for booze,” Rey said incredulously. “For a fucking drink.” The man silently pushed the untouched cup toward her.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. No, no, no. Why are you showing me this?” she rasped. “No one ever bothered to find them… or me, for that matter. What do you want?” Kylo squirmed uncomfortably.

“I… It’s difficult to explain.”

“Try me.”

“My grandfather passed away six month ago,” he blurted. She didn’t expect that.

“I’m sorry,” Rey offered quietly, unsure of what to say.

“It’s OK.” Ren’s smile was tight-lipped. “Before he…  He asked me a couple of things, one of which was to find his long-lost friend and mentor, with whom he parted on bad terms, and to reconcile with him.” So _that’s_ what it was about.

“Benjamin Kenoby,” she guessed easily.

“Yes,” came the confirmation. “Unfortunately, he also passed away, as well as his wife and son. You are his next of kin, so, if you let me…” Rey shook her head in confusion.

“Wait, Mr. Ren, Kylo, what are you doing? Are you seriously trying to apologize to _me_ for something your grandfather did to a man that adopted a person why might be my biological father?” The man nodded.

“Um, yes? Please, if I can do anything…” As if the day wasn’t already surreal enough.

“Listen, I didn’t know you grandfather, God, I didn’t even know my parents, let alone the Kenobis. They were _nobility_ , I’m no one. I doubt they had any idea about my existence.” Rey considered for a moment the man in front of her. “If it matters so much to you, I forgive your grandfather but that’s it.”

“Wait, please. Is there anything I can do for you?” Ren looked at her with pleading eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“Do you want to claim your inheritance? I can hire you a lawyer.” She blinked in disbelief. “It will be difficult but if we play or cards right… Don’t worry, money is not an object.” Is he serious?

“What? No, of course not. I have never known them, what moral right do I have for their money? I am not even their blood relative.”

“Than what do you need? I can help with your bills or living conditions, whatever you want.” The man must be out of his mind.

“Are you crazy? I can’t take anything from you. We have met only ten minutes ago.” How is he even real?

“Please, just let me do it. Please,” Ren asked, literally begged, looking at her with desperate eyes and something within Rey snapped.

“Anything?”

“Anything,” he confirmed. This should have ring warning bells in her head. Any normal person would add ‘within reasonable limits’ or something along the lines. But not him. His eyes shone with stubborn determination to grant her whatever she requested, regardless the cost. Rey knew she shouldn’t take advantage from his misplaced sense of obligation. She also knew she shouldn’t refuse any help.  He said himself that money wasn’t an object for him, but for her it was. It meant new textbooks, regular meal, no worries about rent, more free time to study. It was… yeah. There were so many things she could do. But there were also things she had to do. Before Rey realized what was going on, her mouth opened on its own accord.

“I want to adopt a child.”

 


	2. Desperate Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben finds out a way to help Rey and to solve his own problem.

“I want to adopt a child.” Ben stared at her, slaw-jacked. Rey Johnson was nothing like he expected. She looked so young and fragile, yet she had a backbone of steel. The girl hadn’t shed a tear over things she had seen in her file, yes, her eyes were shiny, but no tears had come. She refused Kenobi inheritance because she had no _moral right_ for it (Ben knew people who would literally _kill_ for such opportunity), and now, when he had offered her anything, she asked for this. One thing was clear – Rey Johnson had more balls than Ben Solo ever did.

“How… how can I help you with that?” She shrugged.

“I don’t know, it was your idea. Figure it out, Mister Smartpants. Now excuse me, my break is over.” And just like that she disappeared with folder, leaving him gaping like an idiot.

It took Ben a couple of days to gather his wits together. Clearly he needed a lawyer, but the idea of asking help from First Order legal department made his stomach churn. The less his colleagues (and consequently Snoke) knew about his personal life the better. That was how he found himself at the inconspicuously looking door in one of the less polished parts of Coruscant. He knocked.

“Come in,” came muffled reply. The office looked like it recently survived a tornado. The floor was littered in paper, all available space was covered in boxes, different stuff was scattered around. The owner looked just as frazzled as the surrounding.

“Were you robbed?” he asked instead of greeting. Ahsoka snorted from behind the huge cardboard box she was holding.

“Ah, young Solo. What brings you here?” Leave to her respond to question with another question. Ben awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to another.

“I need your help.” The woman barely glanced at him.

“I told you, finding Kenobi was my last job.” The man clenched his hands in frustration.

“Please, it won’t take long.” Ahsoka gave him a hard look.

“Ben, I’m going out of business.”

“You are leaving?” he asked incredulously. The woman was the last live thread that connected him to his grandfather. With her gone…

“Yes, I think at my age I deserve a nice retirement. Especially since there is none of my friends around anymore.” The unspoken implication hung in the air.

“Where will you go?”

“I was thinking Naboo. It’s beautiful in springtime,” she said wistfully. “So what did you want?”

“I need help with Rey.” Ahsoka raised her eyebrow in question. “Is there a way for her to adop?” The woman raised another eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Why what?” She rolled her eyes.

“Why would Rey want to do this?”

“I,” he faltered, “I have no idea.” The woman stared at him.

“Seriously, Ben? A twenty-one years old girl suddenly decides to adopt a child and you haven’t even asked why? It doesn’t seem strange to you?” He squirmed uncomfortably.

“Well, that’s what she asked,” he retorted defensively.

“And you jumped straight into action?” Ahsoka asked incredulously, her hands on her hips. “Ben, that’s exactly what I warned you about. You were supposed to _talk_ to her, get a closure and continue living your life, but no, you can’t just let go.” She turned around to push away a stray box with more force than necessary. “Fucking Skywalkers,” she muttered under her breath. Ben gritted his teeth.

“Will you help me or not?” The woman turned to him abruptly.

“You want to know how Rey Johnson can adopt? I’ll tell you – she can’t.” She paused waiting for the information to sink in. “Think about it. The girl is barely legal, she has no family, no money, no support system. She works odd jobs for minimal wages. She is still studying. Her whole apartment is smaller than your storage room. I know, I made that file. There is no way the state allows her to take care of a kid. She _might_ have had a chance if she had a well-off partner with stable career, families are more likely to be approved for adoption. As of right now, Rey has exactly zero chances. Any lawyer can tell you that.” Of course. Of fucking course it would end like this. Ben suddenly felt his anger rising, at himself, at Ahsoka, at Rey, at Anakin, at the whole situation. Obviously he couldn’t do anything right, could he?

“That was very helpful,” he gritted trying to reign himself in. The woman sighed.

“I would advise you to ask Rey why exactly she wants that and work from there, but you wouldn’t listen, would you?” He blinked.

“I…”

“Don’t bother, I know that look,” she said with an eyeroll. “Just please, try to think before you do anything. If you can.” Ben glared at her.

“I’m always thinking.”Ahsoka snorted.

“You mean overthinking. Now shoo, I still have a lot of work to do. Good bye, Ben.” She turned away, not waiting for his response.

 

_“And then that idiot suggested we should just buy them out! And Snoke agreed!” Ben gesticulates violently. Anakin shakes his head. It’s one thing to make your own mistakes. It’s whole other experience to see your grandson repeat them all over again._

_“Then why are you working there?” The boy jolts._

_“What?” he looks at his grandfather with wide eyes._

_“Ben, why are you working for First Order?”_

_“I, um, that’s a big company with a lot of to offer,” he says confusedly. Anakin raises an eyebrow._

_“So what? You hate the place, you detest your colleagues, you have no respect for your superior and I doubt you get any satisfaction from your work.” His speech is interrupted by sudden cough. He winces. “Even Skywalkers are not that masochistic. I ask you again – why are you working there?” The boy looks at him, flaggerbasted._

_“But you wanted to make things right! Back then, with Empire, and now, with First Order. That’s what I do, I make a difference.” Oh, his silly naïve child. He is still so young._

_“Ben, how many years have you been working for Snoke? How much difference have you made? Was it not enough? This family wasted too much time fighting for the lost cause: me, Padme, your mother, your uncle.” His grandson winces at the mention. “You can’t spend your life like that, you don’t have to. Besides, changing First Order is not something you can do on your own.” The boy stares at him._

_“But I’m not on my own, I have you.” Anakin’s laugh turns into fit of coughs._

_“Child, I can’t even get to the loo without assistance, how can I be of any help to you? Again, why are you working there?” His grandson squirms and averts his eyes. Good, he’s finally gotten to him._

_“I don’t know anything else,” the boy offers quietly, his dark head hangs low._

_“Still, it’s not the reason to go on like this, Ben.” He places his wrinkled hand on his grandson’s smooth one. “Think about it, really think, why?”_

That talk happened several years ago, but Ben remembered it regularly, especially during meetings like this. His boss was in particularly foul mood. He wondered whether Snoke’s character worsened with years or he had just been too young and stupid to see it straight away. The old bastard could be quite charming when he wanted to. Today he didn’t even bother to try.

“Idiots! Dimwits! Morons! Why do I waste my time on scum like you!” he screeched pausing only for the air. No one even flinched, being used to Snoke’s management style. “Do you have any idea what this is? Do you know what it means?” The bald man violently pointed out to the screen. “If any of this becomes public we are fucking doomed!”

“I don’t think…” tentatively started the redhead. Kylo winced.

“Oh, clearly you don’t,” spat Snoke. “If not for you, Mister Hux, we wouldn’t have this discussion. Do you have an inkling what your little stunt cost us?” The ginger clenched his jaw.

“Sir, I am responsible for the report.”

“You are responsible for the failure, you imbecile! If you hadn’t blown the deal with Hosnian Prime we wouldn’t have any of these troubles! Now, after your escapade, no self-respecting financial organization will even _look_ at First Order!” Snoke hissed with venom.

“We were operating under time restriction…”

“The only restriction you have is in your brain, you twit.” Hux’s face started to match his hair. Across the table Peavey smirked. Thanisson looked as if he wanted to crawl under the table. Phasma kept tearing her agenda into pieces. Kylo cleared his throat.

“Sir, with all due respect…” Snoke jerked his head.

“Ah, my faithful apprentice. Do tell as, what the fuck crawled up your ass to rush that Crait deal?” Kylo winced.

“But Sir, you requested that we outbid Resistance Development by any means necessary.”

“Obviously, who the hell needs _affordable housing_?” the man spat with particular disgust. “But that didn’t mean you should have neglected your due diligence. Now thanks to you we paid a fortune for a fucking red sand!” Kylo clenched his teeth.

“Full soil analysis takes time we didn’t have. I made a decision based on your orders.” Snoke’s bony fingers clenched his shoulder to the point of pain.

“Naturally. But let me tell you that if we don’t finish the construction on schedule I’ll make time to personally bury you alive in that fucking sand. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” The man smiled, which was a truly ghastly sight.

“Wonderful! Now, who tells me where are we going to get money since we are no longer supported by banks?” Peavey puffed his chest.

“As far as I know, my store chain was profitable in the last accounting period, as well as Canady’s clinics, right?”

“As is my record company,” piped in Thanisson, his voice slightly wavering. Kylo caught Phasma’s pained facial expression. She knew what was coming.

“Do you know that there is a difference between profit and cash flow?” snarled Hux.

“I am not entirely sure about that,” mused Snoke, “and anyway, are you aware how much money is necessary on this stage of construction? Do you, Mister Peavey, know that you barely met last quarter’s goals? You should be grateful you are still allowed heading the division. And you, young Thanisson. We all know that you are allowed to play with your musical thingy only because your father is on Board. So please, don’t interrupt when adults are talking.” Both men flushed scarlet. Canady cleared his throat.

“If I may, Hosnian Prime is not the only player in business. There must be someone we can strike a deal with.” Snoke grinned maliciously.

“Ah, Doctor Canady, or should I call you Mister? Goodness knows your medical expertise is rather questionable. Do tell us, who do you suggest?” The man faltered.

“Um, Rebel Capital?” Hux buried his face in his hands.

“Rebel Capital won’t touch us with a ten-foot pole,” Snoke hissed, “as won’t Alliance Group. New Republic Finances kindly asked us to go fuck ourselves and Rogue One’s reply I won’t quote because it made _me_ blush. Any other brilliant ideas?” He looked around questioningly.

“Force Group,” muttered Hux.

“Ah, Armitage, you are more informed then I previously thought. I had preliminary negotiations with Mr. San Tekka and, while he is not absolutely against the idea of partnership, he is reluctant. Do you know why?” He abruptly placed his hand on Phasma’s shoulder. The woman jumped.

“He has doubts regarding First Order reliability?”

“Exactly! And why do you think he has these doubts?” Snoke asked smoothly.

“Um, transparency and accountability?” She glanced at Hux pleadingly.

“If it concerns our ROI…” started the redhead.

“No, you fools, the dim-witted fuck won’t hand us his money because none of execs is married.” The whole table stared at the sneering man.

“Excuse me, Sir, did you say ‘married’?” tentatively asked Kylo thinking he had misheard.

“Yes! The moron is stalling because none of you has a family. Apparently trustworthiness nowadays is determined by a fucking spouse! And you, all of you, managed to fail even there!” Snoke spat.

“But you have always said that family is a distraction,” interjected Peavey.

“Yes, it is. You either work, or wipe your spawn’s ass. That’s why I don’t tolerate women. Oh, don’t worry, Phasma, dear, I know that your womb is a hostile environment,” he smiled sickeningly. The woman clenched her hands.

“But San Tekka can’t request that from us. That’s discrimination, it’s illegal!” piped in Thanisson. Snoke glared at him.

“Do I look like I care for legality, you cretin? All I need is to make sure this fucking company won’t collapse because you bunch of dead-brained morons try to tank it! I spent half of my life trying to bring First Order to Empire’s former glory and I will sure as fuck do this with or without your help, idiots!” He breathed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Get out, all of you, or my head is going to explode.” He glared at the table. “Dismissed!”

Kylo hurried out of the conference room along with his colleagues. When pissed, Snoke could throw anything he got his hand on and his aim was pretty good for his age. At this point Kylo couldn’t tell why he was still working at First Order, but one thing was clear – he was not paid enough for this shit.

 

It was already three days and Rey still hadn’t told her friends about her encounter with Kylo Ren. She probably should have, but every single time she tried her mouth grew conscience of its own and shut up. Besides, it was not like she wanted to open the can of worms that her biological family was. It was unlikely that Poe would really get it, and neither would Rose. Finn probably would, but Rey was somehow reluctant to even try.

And then there was the matter of BB. She literally asked a stranger to help her save the boy from Plutt in the most dramatic way possible. She couldn’t even imagine her friends’ reaction to _that_. They would probably be horrified. On the other hand, Rey seriously doubted that she would see Ren again. He seemed eager to help her but there was no guarantee that he won’t reconsider. Then again, she didn’t really put her trust in him, did she?

She was yanked out of her reverie by a jab in a shoulder.

“What?” Rose rolled her eyes.

“I was asking if you are hungry. Are you OK? You seem to be a bit off lately.” Rey blushed.

“Um, sure. Just thinking about Uni stuff.”

“And here I thought you had boy troubles,” quipped Poe. Finn elbowed him.

“Hey, don’t tease Peanut. We are thinking about Chinese,” he added.

“Fine with me,” Rey quickly responded. Finn raised an eyebrow.

“You sure you are OK? You know that if you need to talk to someone…” he trailed off. Rey’s mind briefly wandered from the folder buried at the bottom of her drawer to the little red-haired boy to the brooding enigmatic man.

“Nope, I’m fine,” she smiled brightly. _Today was not the day._

“Great,” beamed Poe. “So, as I was saying, we had a disagreement with the Chief Editor…”

 

Rey was lost too deep in her thoughts when someone cleared the throat behind her.

“Your not-boyfriend is here again,” Jess winked her playfully.

“Who?” The girl nodded toward the booth. Rey glanced there and did a double take noticing familiar mane of dark hair.

“I think you should go say ‘hi’. I’ll cover you,” Jess offered good-naturedly. She nodded dumbly in return.

This time Ren noticed her right away.

“Hi,” Rey offered weakly, feeling out of her element.

“Hello. Please, sit down.” The man looked as unsure as she felt. Somehow this made her feel more comfortable.

“I assume, you have some news for me?” Ren stared at her intently.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked unexpectedly.

“Excuse me?!” The man fidgeted in his seat.

“A girlfriend then. A friend. Someone with stable career and preferably an apartment?” Rey gaped at him.

“What kind of question is that?” Ren had the audacity to blush.

“Directly related to your ability to adopt. You are young. You are single. You are still a student. You are partially employed. You live in a shoebox. I’m really sorry but there is no way you can adopt a child.” Ah, so that what it was about.

“Surely you can pull some strings,” she said testily despite her better judgment. Ren stared back at her.

“I can cut a few corners here and there but I’m not omnipotent. People will ask questions about your income and living conditions and they won’t like the answers.” Rey glared at him. He sighed. “Your best shot is to get married, at least on paper.” At that her eyebrows met her hairline.

“You are kidding.” Deep down she knew that he was right. Rey was aware she wasn’t the perfect parent the state would just hand BB to, but still there had to be a way. She couldn’t allow Plutt to win, not this time.

“I’m really not.” Ren looked at her imploringly.  “Rey, you are young and attractive, surely, there is someone…” She took a deep breath, her brain refusing to process the information. A sob unexpectedly rose from her throat, but she suppressed it right away.

“No, there is not. I can’t ask anyone to disrupt their lives for me like that.” Rey clenched her fists to center herself and looked away. “It’s just… for a moment I thought I could really do this. Silly me,” she said quietly. Ren looked at her sympathetically.

“Can I do anything for you?” Rey huffed humorlessly.

“I doubt that. Besides you have already tried.” She should have gone back to work but she didn’t move from her spot. Neither did he. Ren worked his jaw looking like a man at war with himself. At some point he reached the conclusion and looked at her with a newfound resolve.

“OK, I’m going to suggest something unorthodox here and you have my full permission to slap me.” He paused waiting for her undivided attention. “Rey, marry me.”

“What?!”

“Marry me.” He took a lungful of air and started talking hurriedly. “You need a husband with stable income, I need a wife. I’m single, I have no commitments, secure job and certain connections. If you…”

“Why would you do that? What do you have to gain from it?” Rey looked at him suspiciously. That shut him up. Ren looked around, checking if someone was nearby, and lowered his voice.

“What I’m going to tell you is confidential. Both of us could get into giant trouble if you disclose any of this.” Rey nodded. “I work for the First Order Group, it’s a diverse company which has its interests in several fields. Recently we had a, um, disagreement with financial alliance which puts significant restrictions on our working capital availability. This causes problems for our property development subsidiary. If we don’t meet the terms of duration of construction, there will be consequences. We’ll lose investors, the shares will drop, there will be downsizing, people will lose their jobs.” Rey stared at him in confusion.

“What does it have to do with me? You need a moral support or what?” Ren ran a hand through his hair.

“It’s complicated. Right now we keep the whole thing under the lid, but it won’t work in the long run. What we need is an investment, but that blown deal severely damaged First Order’s reputation. The only investor who is willing to work with us is… let’s say ‘eccentric’. He believes that the company is not trustworthy because all the executives are single. So…”And then it finally clicked.

“You want me to became your wife so that you?..” she trailed off looking at him expectantly.

“Could save their asses,” he offered bashfully. Oh, a noble cause. Rey didn’t really believe in those. In her experience people always had other motives.

“And? What will _you_ get from it?”

“If I secure the contract the Board will be more inclined to listen to me. And…” Ren flushed.

“And?” she prompted.

“It will increase my chances to be named a successor to my boss. The CEO,” he explained at her silent question. 

“Of course,” Rey snorted. At this point even the tips of his ears flushed red. Surprisingly _that_ was what convinced her in his sincerity.

“I know that it sounds terribly egoistic and you have no reason to trust me, but maybe we can help each other, so if you just consider…”

“Fine.”

“What?”

“OK, I’ll marry you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is wondering, I purposefully use both Ben and Kylo names in different situations because Ben himself still hasn't come to terms with two different aspects of his life. Sorry for the confusion.


	3. Desperate Measures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who is not dead! It has been a while since I updated this story the last time. I promise, I havent forgotten about it.   
> And yes, I've updated the chapter count. It is going to be a bit longer than I've initially planned. Sorry not sorry.

_“Tell me about her.” Anakin lifts his eyebrow questioningly, though he knows precisely what his grandson wants to know. It’s not the first time Ben is asking about Padme and it won’t be the last. He understands his boy’s curiosity, but how to explain the magnitude of feelings he has for his late wife to someone who haven’t experienced anything as powerful? Anakin has lost his heart to her when he was eight and haven’t retrieved it back ever since._

_“She was…” Anakin sighs wistfully. “Light incarnated. She was strong and smart and beautiful. And so very fierce. And stubborn as hell.” Ben nods, as if in understanding. But how can he if he hasn’t met her? And it’s his fault. The thought hurts more than any of his ailing. “Your grandmother had very strong sense of justice,”_ unlike me _hangs in the air. Ben covers his wrinkled hand with his young one. Anakin averts his eyes. “She was my guiding light, you know? Always could tell right from wrong and nothing could stop her if she fought for what she believed in. A lot like your mother,” he adds in afterthought. His grandson winces. “Ah, Skywalker women. I guess, we have a type,” he finishes on a lighter note. Ben snorts._

_“As if!” Anakin scrutinizes him with his still bright blue eyes, his lips curling in a smirk._

_“That’s what you are saying now. But when you find yourself putting a ring on a finger of tiny fierce brunette don’t say I haven’t warned you.”_

 

“OK, I’ll marry you,” Rey said decisively, with a stubborn set to her jaw. Ben stared at her in shock. Somewhere in the afterlife Anakin was probably cackling.

“Really?” The girl snorted.

“What did you expect?  _You_  suggested it.” Well, she was not wrong. He simply couldn’t believe this young, smart, beautiful woman could agree to such a crazy plan.

“Um, a slap to my face probably,” he answered sincerely. Rey considered him for a moment.

“That would be logical,” she agreed, “but I have no time for that, so…”

“So?”

“Where does this leave us?” And wouldn’t Ben like to know an answer for this question.

“Frankly, I don’t know.” Rey narrowed her eyes.

“OK, what would you expect from me as your wife? What kind of  _favors_  will I have to do?” The way she said the word… Ben’s eyes bulged.

“What? No, no, nothing like that! I won’t… You don’t… Nothing will happen to you that you don’t want, I promise!” he blurted. Rey slowly nodded.

“Good. But what _do_ I have to do?” Clearly Ben hadn’t thought this through. And it has been a while since he had been in relationship the last time.

“Basic PDA, I guess. Hugging, handholding…” He made a vague gesture.

“Kissing,” dutifully supplied Rey looking him straight in the eye. Kissing? Well, technically he wasn’t averse to the idea of kissing _her_ , but…

“We’ll see about that. Let’s focus for now on the bare minimum to make it plausible.” He leaned closer as he remembered something. “State authorities do check couples before adoption too.” The girl nodded slowly.

“Yes, Mr. Ren, Kylo…” She blushed prettily. “Oh gosh, I’ll have to change my last name, right? Rey Ren doesn’t sound good.” Ben blinked in surprise.

“Actually it won’t be Ren.” Rey looked at him questioningly waiting for an explanation. “It’s the name I go with professionally, but my legal name is Solo. Ben Solo,” he clarified shifting uncomfortably. He waited for the signs of recognition on her face but nothing happened. His shoulders relaxed and then she honest to God snorted.

“Huh, I knew it sounded fake,” she grinned. “So, Rey Solo.” For a moment Ben was mesmerized by the movement of her lips. “Much better.”

“Yes, much better,” he nodded hoping he did not flush. What was about this girl that made him react this way?

“So, what should I call you? Ben or Kylo?” Rey looked at him expectantly. He blinked. No one called him that, not since he left home, and especially not since Anakin died. But the way _she_ said it made something long forgotten loosen in his chest.

“Ben is fine. Though you probably should call me Kylo in front of my co-workers,” he added as an afterthought.

“Ben it is.” Rey gave him a toothy grin. He couldn’t help but smile in return. “Tell me, Ben, what do we do now?” _Get a grip, be a responsible adult here._

“We should set the boundaries. Things we are OK with.” She nodded slowly.

“Agreed. So, physical stuff…”

“Whatever you are comfortable with,” he hastily interjected.

“OK. But same applies to you.” Rey had the point. “How long are we going to be married?”

“A couple of years at least?” Somehow he phrased it as a question. She hummed.

“I’m graduating in two and half years. I guess, we can divorce as soon as I find myself a full-time job, if that’s OK with you?”

“Works for me. But you do realize that we’ll have to move in together?” The girl stared at him.

“Why?” Ben internally groaned.

“Rey, it’s more for your benefit than mine. The state checks living conditions too.”

“How is it going to work?” Her tone was suddenly full of suspicion.

“I haven’t thought this through yet,” Ben admitted truthfully. “But people live with roommates all the time.” 

“Have you?” Rey raised an eyebrow.

“Not since college.” She rolled her eyes. “Regardless, I have plenty of free rooms and I’m rarely at home.”

“Free rooms,” she snorted. “Do you even realize that you invite two literal strangers to live with you? How can you be so blithe about it?” That was something Ben wondered himself. He did not let people in. Not in his life, not in his house, not in his… anything else. And yet this girl went through all his defenses and somehow prompted him into the craziest thing in his life. Well, maybe after him joining Snoke, that is.

“Frankly, I don’t know what to answer you.” She deserved the truth. Rey sighed.

“That I noticed.” She was pensive for a moment. “OK, you should know that I don’t tolerate violent behavior. Do you have problems with that?” Ben blinked.

“No. At least, not in a long while.” Rey considered him with narrowed eyes, then nodded.

“Good.” Ben exhaled.

“Good. I also have a request – if we fight, we do not scream. Never.” He said firmly. “Especially in front of a kid.” Her eyes widened in understanding.

“Agreed. We’ll talk it through. As a team.” Ben offered her a shy smile.

“I’m not good with a teamwork.” Rey smiled back.

“Me neither. But we’ll learn together.” Something warmed in his chest at the way she said it.

“We will,” he promised. She wanted to say something but was interrupted by his ringtone. One look at the screen soured his mood. “Shit, I have to go. Here is my number,” he slid a card toward her. “Please, call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Bye, Ben.”

 

Rey stared at the exit long after Ben left, trying to figure out what she had gotten herself into. At least that made two of them.

“I haven’t seen this boy for a while,” offered Maz from behind her. Rey gave a startled jump. Her boss chuckled.

“You know him?” the girl asked curiously as soon as her heart rate slowed down.

“I used to have business with his father,” offered Maz cryptically. “He is a good boy, just lost his way.”

“That he did,” Rey sighed.

“Good thing that you have found him,” she said before walking away, leaving Rey to stand there flabbergasted.

 

A couple of days passed since her second meeting with Ben and Rey still hadn’t said anything to her friends. She was dreading their reaction and for a good reason. Marry a literal stranger in order to adopt a kid? Finn would drag her crazy ass to a therapist before she had a chance to finish the phrase. And yet she desperately needed someone to talk to. She could try Maz, but the woman seemed to know way too much already. Rey lazily toyed with the card Ben left her. Well, he did agree that they are a team and teammates should know each other well. After a bit of consideration she caved in and messaged him. 

 

Rey: Hi, it’s Rey, your ‘fiancée’.

Rey: Would you like to meet up?

Rey: To get to know each other better?

 

She waited. And waited. Her phone finally pinged.

 

Ben: Sure.

Ben: Where and when?

 

And that’s how she found herself strolling in the park on sunny afternoon with Ben Solo. Eating ice cream, no less. He offered to pay for it (she had half-mind to refuse him, but free food was free food) and didn’t comment on her raspberry, mint and chocolate and salted caramel in one cone covered in extra sprinkles. To her surprise, instead for the darkest chocolate available Ben went for a plain vanilla, further proving how little they knew each other.

Rey bashfully cleared her throat. “So, you know a lot about me, but I don’t really know anything about you besides your relationship with your grandfather.” Ben hummed.

“I… Well, I’m obviously single and not a people person.” That she had already figured out, though how this obviously rich and quite attractive man was single she had no idea.

“And your family?” Ben’s jaw tightened.

“It’s complicated.” Rey winced.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You have the right to know.” He sighed. “I’m not close with my parents, we never were. They were too busy with their work. Their marriage was… ‘tempestuous’ is probably the right world.” He flushed. “I’m sorry, with your history you probably think it’s just another rich white boy sob story.” Rey gently placed her arm on his.

“No, Ben, I don’t think that.”

“You won’t be the first, you know?” he said self-consciously. Something in his tone made Rey’s chest pang. “Anyway, in my teens, when I started to lash out, they thought it was a good idea to ship me to my uncle. It didn’t go well, to say the least,” Ben said bitterly. Clearly it still hurt him. “I severed all the connections with them when I left. Later my grandfather pushed me to reconcile with them, but it’s difficult. Strained.” Rey suddenly felt so guilty for asking.

“I’m so sorry, Ben, I shouldn’t have pried.” He sighed.

“Don’t worry, I would rather you know it now. I understand if me leaving my parents is a dealbreaker to you.” She blinked in surprise. It’s not that often other people took her feelings into consideration. Rey suddenly felt the need to thank him, but she didn’t know how.

“You were pretty close to your grandfather,” she said instead.

“Yes,” Ben confirmed.

“If you don’t mind me asking – was he estranged from your parents too?” Her ‘fiancé’ snorted.

“You have no idea. My grandmother died during childbirth and my mom and uncle were adopted in two different families. They accidentally met when they were nineteen, on a protest against their father’s company.” Rey’s brows probably met her hairline in surprise. Ben gave her a side glance. “Well, they didn’t know it back then. And yes, they are twins,” he answered her unspoken question.

“That… sounds like something from a movie,” Rey offered weakly. He chuckled.

“It does.”

“Wow,” she shook her head incredulously. “Will I overstep if I ask what did your grandfather do?”

“Not really. Since you are studying aeronautic engineering, you’ve probably heard about him.” Rey looked at him curiously. “Anakin Skywalker? Anakin Vader?” She gasped.

“The one responsible for the plane crush? And another, with children?” Ben nodded gravely.

“Yes, he was blamed with it among other things, especially when Empire went under investigation.”

“That explains your family’s reaction.”

“Yeah, probably.” They walked silently for a moment. “You know, they never told me about this.” Rey turned to look at him, but Ben stared straight ahead. “I learned it from the newspaper my classmate threw in my face. My mom never forgave Anakin. My uncle did though, when he went to see him before the trial.”

“They were trying to protect you,” offered Rey softly. Ben huffed.

“Well, they did it all wrong. Especially when you grow up listening to your parents to say you have too much of your grandfather in you and then learn all of this.” He smiled bitterly. “Anyway, from them and from my boss I’ve got the impression that my grandfather was dead. Imagine my surprise when I went looking for his grave and found an old sick man in a God-forgotten retirement home.” Rey gaped.

“How was it even possible?”

“He had a stroke during the trial and then everyone focused on Palpatine and somehow he slipped under the radar. And neither my benevolent mother, nor my forgiving uncle, nor my boss who praises him all the time for his business skills never bothered to look him up.” His voice was full of spite, his jaw tense. Rey’s hand involuntarily reached for his.

“Ben…”

“I just…” He sighed. “My grandfather helped me to work out my shit. Whatever mistakes he did, he was a good person. Probably the only person who was there for me.” He smiled awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m still not over it.”

“Don’t be,” Rey smiled softly. “We all have our baggage. And you were right, if we want this to work, I need to know you. So don’t worry about that.”

“Well, yeah, I just haven’t had anyone to listen to me in a while.” Again Rey wondered what kind of life he had. Was there anyone for him at all?

“You are not alone, you know?” she offered. Ben looked at her softly making her breath hitch.

“Neither are you.” They stared at each other until Ben finally remembered himself. “Well, what about you? I saw the file, but I don’t really know you either.”

“Well, I’m single too.” Rey chuckled awkwardly. “The closest thing I have to family is my friends. Finn is my best friend, basically my brother from another mother, he is very protective of me.” Even talking about him brought a smile to her face. “His girlfriend Rose is the nicest person in the world, but God forbid you to piss her off. Trust me, she may be tiny, but she is fierce. Poe is probably the most easy-going of them all, he has a personality of a golden retriever, though he has a tendency to make rush decisions. He’ll probably be the only one who won’t demand to check my sanity when I tell them everything.” Ben stopped walking abruptly.

“You haven’t told them yet?” he asked incredulously. Rey frowned.

“No, they would object, like, a lot.”

“And they would be right!” he insisted. “Rey, it could be dangerous. What if I’m some kind of serial killer?” She snorted.

“Seriously?”

“I’m worried about your safety,” Ben responded defensively.

“Thanks, Daddy,” she quipped. Her ‘fiancé’ blushed up to the tips of his ears.

“Please, don’t call me that ever again.” Rey giggled.

“Are you always that uptight?”

“Pretty much,” he answered self-consciously.

“Well, BB should have at least one strict partner.”

“Yeah, about that. If I’m going to be their father…”

“In name only,” interjected Rey.

“Anyway, I should at least know something about them.” She hummed.

“OK, first things first, BB is not them, he is him. Here.” Rey unlocked her phone to show him photos. Ben paused at her favorite, BB’s birthday, where they both grinned happily, a cone adorning boy’s bright red hair, his big brown eyes sparkling.

“He is… cute,” Ben said in a way that suggested that ‘cute’ was a very foreign concept to him. “He looks a lot like you.” Rey beamed.

“Huh. Have you just implied that I’m cute?” He blanched.

“No! I mean, yes, I mean, that’s not what I meant, it’s just your nose and his freckles, I’m sorry…” Rey barely stiffened a giggle.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” Ben gave her a half-hearted glare. “Though it’s nice to know that you consider me attractive.” 

“Oh, um, yes, you are.” He rubbed his neck awkwardly. “Actually I wanted to ask… You don’t have to answer, of course, if you don’t want to. Why do you want to adopt BB?” That was a question that Rey subconsciously dreaded. She was never good rendering feelings into words and then again, for someone as practical as her it was an extremely impulsive decision. She sighed.

“You must know that BB had a history. His family was neglectful, they often forgot to feed him, closed him in a dark room when he ‘misbehaved’. He had nightmares for month after that.”

“OK,” Ben nodded slowly.

“You know, they tell us not to get attached to the children, they aren’t meant to remain in the orphanage. But sometimes you just can’t help it, there is this connection. Do I make any sense?” she asked him, unsure.

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“So, there is this cute little boy I love with all my heart and then I’m told that my former foster father is going to take him in. The very same one that withheld food and forced me to scavenge on a junkyard to ‘earn my keep’. How was I supposed to react?”

“What the fuck?!” growled Ben. “They can’t just let him do it!”

 “That’s exactly what I said! But apparently Plutt has some powerful friends, so… Maz, my boss, she said that the only thing to keep BB safe is to get him adopted. And here we are,” Rey finished awkwardly.

“Here we are,” repeated Ben. He looked at her seriously. “Rey, I promise you, this bastard won’t get BB, not as long as I have any say in it.” At that moment she understood how it feels when the weight is lifted from your shoulder. She breathed out in relief.

“Thank you!”

“You have nothing to thank me just yet,” Ben protested bashfully.

“I do,” Rey insisted and in the heat of the moment she rose on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. He flushed up to his ears. She grinned. Maybe this marriage wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

 

Ben had never thought that such a simple gesture can work him up that much. The kiss Rey gave him was just grateful, chaste, nothing exciting about it. And yet he reacted like a blushing virgin he definitely was not. Was he that starved for human contact? Was it Rey that rendered him speechless every single time? He didn’t know. He didn’t care. All Ben wanted was to make her as flustered as she did him. And he knew exactly what he had to do.

Ben texted her asking to meet him. She suggested picking her up after her classes. Judging from her face Rey was clearly enamored with his car (sleek, black, expensive, because of course).

“Where to?” she asked curiously.

“Surprise,” he grinned. Rey frowned.

“What if I’m underdressed?” Ben blinked in confusion. What was wrong with her jeans and T-shirt?

“Hardly. You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” she answered shyly, her cheeks pink. _Ah, there it is._ Ben smiled smugly. Apparently he still could make pretty girl blush.

Their ride ended soon. “Here we are,” he announced. Rey looked at the shop.

“Here?!” she asked in abject terror.

“Rey, what’s wrong?”

“It’s jewelry!” she uttered in horrified voice. This was not the reaction he expected. Usually women dragged _him_ there the moment they could.

“Yes,” Ben said slowly, utterly puzzled. “And we need wedding rings.”

“But they are, like, pricy,” Rey responded with big round eyes.

“And I’m, like, COO,” he responded dryly. “Come on, if you play the role of my wife, you’ll need proper props. That’s part of our agreement,” he reminded her.

“I don’t think they’ll even let me in,” she said quietly toying self-consciously with her shirt.

“They can try,” Ben promised darkly. He gently ushered her from the car and guided her into the shop, his hand splayed possessively on her lower back, glaring at anyone who dared to look wrong on his woman. Which was totally justified, because Rey agreed to pretend to be his wife, hence she was his and he was totally allowed to be protective about her. No big deal, right?

The girl behind the counter widened her eyes at the sight of them, then immediately smiled pleasantly.

“Good afternoon! How can I help you?” Rey pressed herself closer into Ben’s side, intimidated by all the sparkle and shine. He rubbed her arm reassuringly.

“We are looking for wedding rings,” Ben supplied.

“Of course. Please, follow me. Do you have any specific requests?” the salesgirl smiled at Ben expectantly.

“Sweetheart?” he prompted Rey. She flushed.

“Oh, something simple.”

 “We have a new collection, classic design, three-carat diamonds, simple lines….” The girl deftly placed the rings on the counter showing the ones with the biggest stones. Just like that Ben knew that he had made a severe miscalculation. Rey wasn’t invigorated by the proximity of precious stones. If anything, they made her sick. Her eyes widened in horror when the girl slipped on her finger a ring that could probably be seen from space.

“What do you think, Sir? It looks good on the lady’s hand, right?” smiled the girl.

“Rey?” She gulped.

“I think… I don’t think it’s comfortable. Ben, how I’m going to use welding torch with _that_?”

“Welding torch?” repeated the girl blankly.

“My fiancée is an engineer,” he said with no small amount of pride. “I agree, it’s too much. Show us something simpler. Minimalistic.” The girl nodded, glanced once again at Rey and produced something less intimidating.

It took them only forty more minutes to find an engagement ring and a set of wedding bands that didn’t make Rey recoil in shock. Ben made sure she didn’t hear the price when he paid, poor girl had enough of nerve-wrecking experience for a day. Only when they were successfully hidden in his car he dared to ask, “You OK?”

“Yes, just a little overwhelmed. I’m sorry,” she offered quietly. Ben’s heart clenched at how lost she sounded.

“No, Sweetheart, I’m sorry, I should have warned you.” She looked at him shyly.

“I’m just not used to all of this. It’s too pretty and elegant and whatever not.” He considered her for moment. How someone who had survived foster care could be intimidated by a bit of outer gloss? It was his fault and he should do something about it.

“How about we have a dinner?” Ben offered awkwardly. “I’m starving.” Rey gave him the first real smile of the evening.

“Me too.

“There is this nice Italian place… If you want to, I mean. You can say no.” She considered him for a moment.

“Can we go to Waffle House?” Ben blinked.

“Of course. If that’s what you want.”

“It is. And I will pay.” Rey looked at him stubbornly. “I insist.”

“Whatever you want,” he responded with a smile. She smiled back. Ben hummed happily. Never in his life had he met a woman like Rey Johnson. He had no idea what their marriage would be but it surely was going to be a wild ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, our space kids had their first date! Was it too much?   
> I'm afraid they are falling for each other faster than I planned, but we'll see about that.


	4. Due Dilligence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey find themselves a lawyer. Ben meets BB.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one day? Yep, that's me. Aside from this chapter I've managed to write a drabble under 1k. Considering how verbose I can be, it's a huge progress. If you are interested, please, check Go And Catch A Falling Star.

_“…and then he just passed these tasks to me and of course I haven’t finished the fucking workload in time!” his grandson turns abruptly on his heels and continues to pace the room angrily. “And what do you think happens next? My precious boss gives_ me _a lecture instead of those incompetent idiots! Because apparently I wasn’t supposed to do everything alone! Breaking news!” Anakin sighs. Unfortunately Ben inherited his temper and it gets better of him quite often. Add to it a stressful working environment and family issues and you’ll get a ticking bomb on your hands. Well, good thing Anakin is an expert in blowing things up._

_“Ben,” he calls softly._

_“What?” his grandson snaps then adds, “Sorry.”_

_“You know, your boss is right, you didn’t have to do anything alone.” Ben rolls his eyes._

_“Yeah? And how exactly I was supposed to do that? It was_ my _project and people didn’t care. And just so you know, I can’t threaten to fire them. Yet.” Anakin cocks his head._

_“But your boss probably could. Why didn’t you talk to him?” His grandson huffs in annoyance._

_“So that he would think that I can’t do anything on my own? I don’t need anyone to motherhan me.”_

_“Asking for help is not motherhaning,” Anakin responds sternly. “There is nothing wrong in that.”_

_“So you say,” Ben interjects, “but I don’t think_ you _have ever believed this.”_

_“And look where I’m now,” he replies wryly. His grandson has an audacity to flush. “Pride is a deadly sin for reason, Ben. Don’t let it ruin your life.”_

 

“Where are we going this time?” asked Rey curiously when he picked her up for their another non-date.

“The lawyer,” Ben responded absently, his mind otherwise occupied. The impeding meeting made him uncomfortable.

Truth to be told, as a part of First Order he had an access to the best cut-throat legal team in existence, but there was no way in hell he would be able to keep anything  private. He could easily hire someone else, but he needed to actually trust this person, so no to anyone from the street. And then there was someone he trusted explicitly in terms of privacy, but there was a whole different issue. She was his Godmother.

Aunt Amy was a brilliant lawyer, but also his mother’s best friend and that was a little too close for comfort. On the other hand, she was his best shot, so after a couple of hours of nervous pacing Ben finally shove his pride as far as he could and made a phone call. Now he was nervously tapping his steering wheel, earning himself curious looks from Rey.

“You OK?” she asked softly. He sighed.

“Yes. It’s just… She is my family’s friend.” Rey furrowed her brows.

“The same family you don’t have the best relationship with?”

“Yep.” She gently placed her hand on Ben’s arm.

“You don’t have to do this. There are plenty of other lawyers.” He slowly let out a breath.

“Yes, I know. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” responded Rey dubiously.

Judging from the reaction of Amilyn’s assistant, they were expected. The curly woman guided them to the spacious modern-looking office and Ben suddenly found himself face to face with his Godmother, who he hadn’t seen for more than a decade. Just as he remembered, Amilyn was tall and willowy, but her rainbow-colored braids were replaced with soft lavender curls. Her sharp eyes took Ben in.

“Prodigal son has returned,” she said wryly.

“Nice to see you too, Aunt Amy.” Beside him Rey stiffened. Amilyn turned scrutinizing gaze to her.

“And who is the lovely lady?”

“My fiancée Rey.”

“Hi,” she offered shyly. His aunt raised her eyebrow.

“Fiancée, huh? My name is Amilyn Holdo,” she offered to her, a picture of perfect professionalism once again. “How can I assist you?”

“We want to get married. As soon as possible,” responded Ben evenly. His aunt narrowed her eyes.

“Is she pregnant?” the woman asked bluntly. Rey jerked her head. Before he could reply she interjected.

“No, I’m not.”

“Underage? Needs a green card?” continued Amilyn, unphased by her tone.

“Just so you know, I’m twenty-one and American citizen,” Rey responded tersely.

“And that was uncalled for,” pointedly added Ben.  The woman eyed them pensively, clearly doing some mental calculation.

“Hm. May I ask you why are you getting married?” He silently cursed himself. Of course his whip-smart aunt will pick up on their weird dynamic. He needed to throw her off the track, he needed…

“Because we want to!” Rey snapped. OK, all he needed was his defensive fiancée. The corner of Amilyn’s mouth lifted.

“Well then. Do you need a pre-nup?”

“No,” replied Ben.

“Yes!” simultaneously responded Rey. They looked at each other in confusion. Amylin observed them with hawk-sharp eyes.

“Sweetheart?” Rey flushed.

“I want a pre-nup. I do not want anything of yours after divorce. In case of divorce,” she amended quickly.

“Interesting,” intoned his aunt. “What about children? Who will they stay with if it comes to that?”

“Me,” answered Rey immediately.

“Her,” reiterated Ben.

“With child support of course?”

“No,” Rey said quickly.

“Of course,” answered Ben. They shared a look again.

“Interesting. You do plan for children, right?” inquired the woman. Ben nodded.

“Yes, about that. We want to adopt.” Rey hummed in agreement.

“Adopt,” Amilyn repeated blankly.

“Yes. We have all the documents,” he passed her a folder. The woman eyed it, then abruptly put her hands on the table.

“OK, that’s enough. What is going on?”

“What do you mean?” Ben pretended to not understand her. Amilyn rolled her eyes.

“You break all the connections with your family, disappear for years, then emerge out of nowhere with barely legal girl in tow and come to _me_ to announce that you are going to _start a family_. Well, forgive my curiosity, but something doesn’t add up. So out with it.” She stared at him unblinkingly. Ben gulped. Beside him Rey abruptly rose from her chair.

“You know what?” she demanded looking his aunt straight in the eye. “I think we need to find another lawyer. You may have had a history with Ben, but right now he is _a client_ , and I highly doubt that you treat your clients this way. From the moment we entered you were condescending and snappy, so forgive my bluntness, but we are going to leave right now.” Amilyn blinked in shock. Not many people responded to her in that manner. He felt a surge of pride for his stubborn girl.

“You call him Ben,” the woman commented blankly.

“I can call him whatever I want,” Rey responded before turning away. Ben followed her lead.

“Good day, Amilyn,” he said curtly.

“Wait!” they heard when they reached the door.

“What now?” Rey didn’t hide her annoyance. The woman sighed.

“I’m sorry, please, come back. Apologies for my behavior, it was unprofessional of me. I just… was _really_ surprised by this,” she nodded toward the couple’s clasped hands. “I do not understand any of it but I will do what you need me to do.” Ben raised his eyebrow questioningly.

“You will help us? With adoption.” Amilyn nodded.

“Yes.”

“And you won’t tell anything to my mother.”

“Ben!” his aunt chastised him. He stared at her evenly.

“Amilyn.” She sighed.

“I won’t. But you’ll have to do it yourself.”

“I will.” At that Rey glanced at him curiously.

“Good. Anything else?”

“Actually, yes,” he said. His fiancée looked at him in confusion. Under of her stare Ben passed Amilyn another folder. “Here you’ll find all the relevant information regarding an Unkar Plutt.” Rey gasped. “This man fosters children, whose labor he uses for his salvaging business. You can find the whole list of his misdeeds there. I want you to make sure that this man will never, _ever_ be allowed near any kid in this country,” he enunciated each word.

“Ben,” Rey whispered. He smiled at her wryly.

“Consider it a wedding gift, Sweetheart.” She squeezed his hand affectionately.

“Thank you.”

“Amilyn?” The woman nodded, her lips pressed tightly.

“On it. You won’t hear about him again,” she promised. In her heart his aunt was a warrior and people like Plutt were her favorite targets. Social justice was something his mother and her friends treasured above all. Ben was sure Amilyn would obliterate Plutt. The fucker deserved it.

“Good. That’s probably it.” Rey nodded.

“Well then, if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. It was good to see you,” she offered.

“You too.”

“And you, Rey.” She eyed Amilyn dubiously.

“Likewise.” Ben smiled at his fiancée allowing her to go first. At the door he turned back for a second.

“Amilyn?” The woman cocked her lavender head. “Thank you.”

 

Rey thought a lot about her next step with Ben. A visit to Amilyn made things suddenly feel very real, and she knew it’s time for him to see with his own eyes what he was getting himself into. That’s why they agreed to meet the next Saturday. Rey didn’t warn him beforehand what they were doing and hoped it wouldn’t blow up in her face.

“So what do you have in mind?” asked her Ben, oblivious to her fidgeting.

“One of the most important steps before the wedding,” Rey smiled cheekily. Ben raised his eyebrow.

“You mean meeting with parents.”

“Not quite. More like meeting with children.” She subtly checked his reaction. Ben seemed fine. “I want you to meet BB.” He nodded.

“Yeah, I think that’s necessary,” he said cautiously.

“You don’t seem happy about it,” Rey observed.

“I’m… not good with children.” At that she looked at him curiously.

“How do you know? When was the last time you were around them?” Ben frowned.

“Ugh, I don’t know. Fifteen years? Maybe twenty.” She giggled. Of course, the last time he interacted with kids was in kindergarten.

“Ben.”

“What?” he asked defensively. “I’m just apprehensive.” Rey beamed.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine.”

“If you say so,” Ben responded dubiously.

Rey was secretly happy that Maz was working that day and couldn’t come with her. She was worried that the older woman would make Ben uncomfortable. Even without her things were not easy. Rey did notice the weird look Ben gave to the shiny new nameplate ‘Organa Orphanage’. Or how he stiffened when she introduced him to Akbar. Apparently, both men either knew each other or about each other, but blissfully refrained from commenting on it.

When they were finally admitted inside, Ben looked completely out of his element. Apparently the man could manage a company, but had no idea what to do with the bunch of squealing kids. Current eight residents of the orphanage were going to bend him over their little fingers.

“Rey!” all of them screamed in delight. Ben paled.

“Kids, calm down,” she pleaded in vain. Little devils were way too happy to see her. That is, before they registered Ben’s presence.

“Who are you?” demanded Jade, little red-haired firecracker.

“Is he your husband?” chirped Yana, her dark braids following her enthusiastic movements.

“Is he your prince?” asked Sola, fair-headed and blue-eyed child. Always such a romantic.

“I’m going to marry Rey!” immediately interjected Mattis before adjusting his glasses. He was still not over his little crush.

“He is a giant!” squealed Fay, her curly locks bouncing excitedly.

“I’m afraid,” announced Lisa, a dark-skinned five-years old. She didn’t like new people. Rey smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, honey, Ben doesn’t bite. Right, Ben?” He stared at her with wide eyes, then nodded in a way that suggested that _he_ was afraid to be bitten.

“Um, yes.”

“See?” she looked at the girl. Lisa nodded, but took Sola’s hand nevertheless.

“Is Rey your princess?” asked Jax, Fay’s older brother and self-proclaimed Prince Charming.

“Yes, she is,” Ben replied seriously. The boy nodded. Girls squealed.

“Aww. Will you play with us?” Rey giggled when her ‘fiancé’ gave her an unsure look. She nodded encouragingly.

“Um, sure?” Jade immediately caught his sleeve and tugged him to the playroom. Rey barely had time to stop her.

“One moment, honey, I want him to meet BB.” The girl pouted, but let go of Ben’s hand. It took her ten minutes to find BB curled up on the windowsill with a book. Rey gently tapped the wall. The boy lifted her head and smiled at her before hanging on her neck, his brown eyes lighting up.

“Rey!”

“Hi, sweety,” she greeted him ruffling his wild red hair. It clashed a lot with the boy’s quiet and shy personality, but Rey absolutely adored it. Then BB noticed Ben hanging out behind her and immediately tensed. Just like Lisa he didn’t like new people. Ben kneeled beside the windowsill, leveling himself with the boy. For someone not good with children he was pretty intuitive.

“Hello.”

“Hi,” the boy replied shyly.

“I’m Ben.”

“I’m BB. Nice to meet you,” he responded politely. Corners of Ben’s mouth lifted.

“He is Bradley Bennet, but everyone calls him BB,” supplied Hera, Akbar’s assistant, who quietly observed the interaction.

“Well, you know, I’m also BB?” suddenly quipped Ben. Rey raised her brow questioningly.

“Are you now?” He nodded.

“Yep, Benjamin Bail.” Huh. There was still plenty to learn about her ‘fiancé’.

“Do you want to play, BB?” Rey asked him softly. The boy nodded. “Come with us.”

“It’s a story time,” Hera said as they returned to the children. The girls attacked Ben from all sides.

“Tell us a story!” He looked helplessly at Rey. She shrugged.

“I’m not really a good storyteller,” Ben said starting to panic. His eyes were so desperate that Rey decided to take pity on him.

“Maybe I can help you?” she said. He mouthed ‘please’. Rey cleared her throat. “Once upon a time there was a shy giant. He was a very lonely giant, because everyone was afraid of him and he was too shy to talk to the villagers that passed his home.” She looked pointedly at Ben. He smirked.

“But one day the giant heard someone sing in the woods. He thought it was a bird, but in fact it was a beautiful princess…”

 

Their way back Ben spent violently tossing his hair and unbraiding complicated styles girls managed to work into it. “My God, why do I have glitter everywhere?” he whined. Rey laughed loudly.

“The girls just tried to give you prince-y hair.”

“Is it in my hair too?” Ben asked with horror.

“Yes, it is,” she smiled smugly.

“Glitter. In my hair. Pink glitter in my hair.” His facial expression provoked her to let another peal of laughter.

“Well, it’s kind of cute.” Ben stopped dead in his tracks.

“Did you just call me cute?” Rey flushed.

“Oh, um, maybe? Anyway, that’s what you get when you live with children.”

“Yeah, about that.” He awkwardly scratched his neck. Rey’s heart rate picked up.

“What?” she asked suspiciously. Ben squirmed.

“I think it’s high time…. Rey, can I take you home?” She blinked.

“Huh?”

“My home, I mean. If you want.” There was probably some kind of miscommunication. Probably.

“Ben, when was the last time you were on a date?” Rey asked tentatively.

“What does it have to do with this?” he asked confusedly, than his eyes widened in understanding. “Shit, sorry.” Miscommunication it was.

“It’s fine,” Rey smiled. “I guess, you can.”

“Great.”

Rey never actually thought about Ben’s living conditions. He was supposedly rich and had some nice place. She just had no idea _how_ nice. The building was all chrome and glass, with doorkeeper and several elevators. And of course he lived in penthouse. Rey’s mouth hung open.

“You live here? Wow!”

“It’s not that exciting,” Ben said sheepishly.

“You should definitely seem my apartment,” she answered with a side-eye. He was quiet until they reached his door.

“That’s me,” Ben announced before ushering her inside. The place was big. Like really, really big. There was too much space for one person, if someone asked Rey.

“Wow. Do you really live here all by yourself?”

“Yeah. It’s not like I need a roommate to pay for it.” She snorted.

“Well, no wonder you are so hell-bent to keep your job.” At that he blushed.

“Um, yeah. So, here is kitchen, living room, guest bathroom, three guest rooms, master bedroom, master bathroom, library and study.”

“And that?” she asked as they passed a door without stopping.

“Storage,” Ben answered a bit too quickly for her liking. Rey filed that thought for later.

He guided her through the whole apartment. It was beautiful and definitely professionally decorated, with blacks, grays and beiges perfectly mixing with each other. It was stylish. It was empty. It looked like a picture in a magazine, not like a place where somebody actually lived. Suddenly Rey realized why this man got himself into this whole mess. He was _lonely_. Without his grandfather Ben was so starved for the basic human contact that he jumped the first chance he got, no matter how ridiculous it was. She didn’t believe his philanthropic urges back then, she couldn’t really relate to his career motives. But loneliness – that she could understand too well.

Rey took a glance at him. Ben was oblivious to her divinations, guiding her through rooms and talking. He was so at ease with her now, unlike their first meetings. He trusted her. Should she talk with him about all of this? Should she? Why was everything about this man so confusing?

They finished their tour on the balcony with a fantastic view.

“Wow, you have really nice pay checks, don’t you?” Ben shrugged.

“Kinda? So, I was thinking that you can take one guest room and BB the other.”

“You sure?” she asked for hundredth time.

“Rey, we have talked about it. I am,” he repeated stubbornly.

“If you say so.”

“Though we’ll probably have to redecorate. Like, add some pastels?” Ben said in tone that indicated that pastels were a really foreign concept for him. She grinned.

“Yes! The color schemes are not exactly children-friendly.”

“U-hu. So I was thinking maybe you’ll take this one,” he showed her a room facing master bedroom, “and BB the one next to you. They both are on the sunny side.”

“If that’s OK?” she said a bit unsure. Ben rolled his eyes. “I know, I know.”

“We should probably repaint it. Something like light blues and whites?” he offered.

“And maybe a bit of orange for an accent? It’s BB’s favorite color.”

“Sounds good. And new furniture. The costs are on me,” Ben added hastily.

“You can’t…”

“I can and I will,” he said sternly. “Rey, I have more money than I know what to do with. I’m not going to make you pay for the renovations.”

“But it’s your house!” she exclaimed. Why didn’t he understand? He had already done too much.

“Where I do whatever I want. Please.” Rey could ignore his pleads, but puppy-dog eyes broke her resolve.

“OK,” she sighed in defeat.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And since you are paying we are doing a themed bedroom.” She raised her eyebrow in silent dare. Ben smirked.

“Fine with me. Cars?”

“He is not really into it. BB is more into cartoons, dinosaurs, space…”

“Space?” he asked with interest. Rey grinned.

“You like it?”

“I do. My uncle used to call me Little Starfighter. I mean, he wasn’t my actual uncle, just a family friend.”

“Aww, so cute!” Rey cast a surreptitious glance at him. Yep, Ben’s ears turned red.

“Not really. Anyway, we could paint something on the wall. Galaxy or solar system.”

“Or spaceships!” she added excitingly. “And we can add thematic night lamp. BB is afraid of the dark a bit.”

“Nightmares?” Ben asked sympathetically.

“Yes,” sighed Rey. Sometimes she really wanted to find BB’s parents, take their necks in her hands and squeeze them. Quite an appealing thought it was.

“How about glowing in the dark stars on the ceiling? They will be shining all night.” She gasped at the idea.

“I love it! It’s perfect!” Ben smiled shyly.

“You think?” Rey shook her head. She had to make this man understand what he was doing for her.

“Seriously, thank you! You have no idea what it means to me.” The way he looked at her made her tingle all over.

“Trust me, I really, really do.”


	5. Tying The Knot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our space kids are finally married. Ben meets the gang.

 

_Anakin reverently touches the photo. It’s the only tangible memory left of their wedding day, on it Padme smiles brilliantly and he looks at her as if she personally hung the moon. Because she did._

_“You zoned out again,” gently rouses him Ben. He blinks._

_“Oh? Sorry, I was just thinking. It’s our anniversary, you know?” His grandson takes a peek at the photo._

_“You look so young and happy.” Anakin sighs._

_“Because we were. The happiest day of my life. Except maybe for the day I learned she was pregnant.” Ben chuckles._

_“That’s so…”_

_“Old-fashioned?” He smiles._

_“Romantic. But yeah, no one thinks like that today.” Anakin shakes his head. Where do young people pick up this nonsense?_

_“Trust me, one day you’ll meet someone who’ll make you think like that. Just find the woman who’s too good for you and put a ring on her finger.” At that Ben cracks a smile._

_“Da… Han once told me something similar.” Anakin snorts._

_“Never liked that scoundrel, but he has a point. You’ll see.”_

 

Ben nervously fidgeted with his tie. The knot was already perfect but he couldn’t stop checking it again and again. You do not marry every day after all.

Things escalated quickly after their visit to Amylin. Within a couple of weeks he and Rey signed their pre-nups, the process of adoption was started and Plutt was taken care of. Now he was going to pick his fiancée, go to the city hall and do the deed. That is, if he leaved his long-suffering tie knot alone.

Ben checked himself in the mirror. He was wearing his customary black, though his shirt was grey (his take on a pop of color). Ben even paid extra attention to his hair, no that he (or Rey) actually cared. With a sigh he opened the door and went to get his fiancée.

Rey wasn’t the one in white. It shouldn’t have surprised him that much, it wasn’t like they were going for a real deal. Instead she was sporting light grey shift dress, her narrow waist cinched with black belt. Nice black dress pumps added her a couple of inches. Rey even let her hair down and her face was touched lightly with make-up. She looked elegant and…

“Gorgeous.” The word left his mouth before he even realized it. Rey blushed.

“Thank you.” Ben offered her his hand.

“Shall we?” Rey took it. Without further ado they went into the building.

The ceremony was a simple thing. They asked random people from the hall to be their witnesses. Just a couple of signatures and they were pronounced husband and wife and the officiant prompted him to kiss the bride. Ben looked questioningly at Rey who gave him an imperceptible nod. He leaned down and kissed her. It was a short chaste thing fitting for official institutions. It was _glorious_. It was probably an absurd notion, but the feeling of her lips under his was probably the best thing that happened to him in a very long time. The smile Rey gave him after was blinding.

“We did it,” she whispered to him.

“We did,” replied Ben grinning like a fool. Behind them a camera clicked. An older lady, one of their witnesses, flushed slightly.

“Sorry about that. You two looked so cute, I just thought you’d like a photo. As a keepsake, you know.” Ben smiled observing as his new wife thanked the lady profusely and sent a photo to her phone.

“We do look cute,” she grinned at him as they both looked at it. They did.

Ben gave her a ride back before returning to work.

“Still going to tell your friends tonight?” Rey nodded.

“Yep, that’s the plan.”

“You sure you don’t want me to be there?” His wife snorted.

“I don’t want to become a widow prematurely. Don’t worry, I’ll be OK.” Ben looked at her dubiously.

“If you are sure.”

“I am. Go back to work, I’ll be just fine.” He sighed.

“OK. Just text me if something goes wrong.” Rey nodded and then Ben did something extremely illogical – he leaned and kissed her cheek. He had no idea what possessed him to do it and was just dumbstruck as she was and then Rey smiled at him. And oh, Ben was totally willing to do this (or anything else) just to receive such smile again.

“I will. Now go,” Rey nudged him gently and he obeyed like a lovesick puppy. He was definitely in trouble.

 

The little coffee shop was half-empty. The school hasn’t started yet and those students who didn’t work or have summer classes were enjoying their summer somewhere outside of Coruscant. Rey couldn’t decide if she was happy for the smaller audience for her impeding drama or not. After all, she decided on a public place to break the news in hope that her friends won’t scream too much.

The first person to come was Poe. The man gave her a giant smile and immediately wrapped her in a hug.

“Well, hello, pretty girl.”

“Hi there, flatterer,” she smiled. Her friend mocked offence.

“What, I can’t make a compliment to a gorgeous lady?”

“Flattery won’t take you anywhere, Dameron,” Rey grinned.

“At least I tried,” the man sighed dramatically. “Where are our lovebirds?” He asked while they made their orders.

“Late as always.” She glanced at the entrance. “Ah, there they are.” Finn and Rose rushed to their table, panting heavily.

“Sorry, we are late,” the girl explained between the gasps of air. “We were stuck… in the elevator.” She finished awkwardly.

“U-hu. And Finn’s lipstick got accidentally smudged,” Poe smirked. “Since when do you both use the same color?” The couple flushed. Rey discreetly passed Finn a tissue. Those two were madly in love and not exactly subtle about it.

“So, Rey, what did you want to talk about?” Rose tried to stir the conversation away from them.

“Oh, um, I have some news,” she wrapped her hands around the teacup. Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on the ring on her finger. The table went dead silent.

“Peanut, what is this?” tentatively asked Finn. “Are you?..”

“I’m married,” she blurted. OK, here goes her well-planned speech. For a second everyone just stared at her. And then…

“How?”

“When?”

“Whom? Do I know him?”

“Why?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Are you sick?”

“Guys, stop that!” Her friends shut up and shared a look. Rose reached out and put her palm on Rey’s forehead.

“Not feverish,” she announced. Rey huffed.

“Of course not. As for your questions – at the City Hall, today, no, you don’t know him, his name is Ben, I’m neither crazy, nor sick, as to why, it’s complicated.” Poe grinned.

“OK, hands down, that was the best prank ever.”

“That’s not a prank,” she answered with a sigh.

“Sure it is. You don’t do feelings, not even one-night stands.”

“Are you pregnant?” Rose made wide eyes.

“No, I’m not.”

“Did he forced you? Because if he did, I swear I’ll taze him into the next century.” Rey suppressed a desire to tear her hair out.

“No, no one forced me, it’s twenty-first century, for God’s sake!”

“Is it about BB?” Of course Finn figured it out.

“Yes,” she replied truthfully. Her friends stared at her.

“I need a drink,” announced Rose. “And a proper explanation.” And explanation Rey did.

“So, to summarize,” Poe started ticking off fingers, “you needed to get BB out of foster system but told us nothing. Crazy rich guy, who calls himself a made-up sci-fi name, wanted to make his dead grandfather happy and offered you his help. You, instead of asking him for a dinner, asked to adopt a kid. He, instead of taking you out, decided to marry you. Is that all?” Rey thought for a moment.

“Basically. Oh, and I’m moving with him.” Poe nodded.

“OK, that’s great, I only have one question – what the fuck, Rey?!” She blushed.

“Sorry, Mom, next time I’ll keep you informed.”

“Seriously, we are your friends,” Finn sounded hurt. “You could have told us something. Anything.”

“And I am sorry. But you would have stopped me!” she retorted.

“From a mistake!”

“BB is not a mistake!” Rey snapped.

“Yes, but your marriage is!” Finn sprung from his seat. The air cracked with tension.

“Is he cute?” suddenly quipped Rose.

“What?”

“Kind of? It’s not like it matters,” Rey shrugged.

“And if it does?” Poe raised an eyebrow. “It took you _month_ to open to us. And it took him _weeks_ to make you change your name. So it’s a valid question.” She rolled her eyes.

“I have a photo from today.” Her friends peered at her phone.

“He _is_ cute,” smirked Poe.

“No, he is not,” tersely replied Finn.

“Sorry, babe, he totally is,” quipped Rose. “And he likes you,” she added for Rey’s benefit.

“Not like that.”

“He looks as if he is going to eat you,” Finn accused.

“Or to kiss you,” agreed Rose.

“Or both. And you don’t seem to mind,” Poe chuckled. Finn glared at him. Rey flushed.

“That’s not true.”

“My God, you like him,” gasped Rose.

“No!”

“The lady doth protest too much!”

“We have a deal!” Rey insisted. “No feelings involved.” Finn looked at her pensively.

“Peanut, are you sure you know what you are doing?”

“Yes,” she replied. And she did. Then why did his question make her doubt it? 

 

Ever since childhood Finn had always wanted a sibling. He pestered his parent endlessly, but their respective careers and his mother’s health issues made them unwilling to experience joys of parenthood for the second time. In his teens Finn gladly babysitted the whole neighborhood and later he proceeded to study pediatrics. When he met Rey he immediately fashioned himself her protective older brother (no matter they only had six month difference) and he took his role rather seriously. So when Finn heard what exactly his dearest friend/baby sister had been up to, he almost lost his shit. Now he knew precisely what fathers feel when their baby girls bring home inappropriate suitors. But this was worse, so much worse.

Finn’s protective instincts screamed to him to find the bastard and make him leave Rey alone. The only problem was that he had no idea where to find this Ben-Ren. But it seemed the luck was on his side because the asshole found him instead. Well, maybe not quite found, Finn was simply near Rey’s phone when it started ringing. Poe left to answer his own phone call, the girls were in the kitchen making tea and gossiping and he decided to seize the moment before anyone could stop him.  

“Hello, Rey,” he heard a gruffly voice in the speaker. _Oh, hi, Mr. Asshole._

“Hello, Ben,” Finn said coldly trying to establish his position. “Listen here, you entitled prick. I don’t know what game you are playing at but if you dare touch a hair on her head…”

“Hello, Finn,” the man on the other side said tiredly. _What the hell?!_

“How did you?..” Ben sighed.

“Elementary. Fiercely protective, but not Rose and you didn’t try to flirt with me. You are Finn.” He dropped on Rey’s bed, flabbergasted.

“How?”

“Rey talks about you a lot, you know?” Did she? Of course she did.

“Oh.”  But back to the subject of Rey. Finn cleared his throat. “Um, regardless, if you dare lay a finger on her…”

“I know, I know, you will strangle me with your bare hands, but not until Rose cuts my balls off with rusty scissors.” Judging from the voice the man was rolling his eyes. Finn’s jaw dropped.

“How? I mean, yes, that’s what will totally happen.” _Yeah, very convincing_.

“I expected nothing less.” Finn couldn’t decide if he is annoyed by this man or respected him. Probably both. “Now, could you do something for me?” Ben asked. OK, that solved the problem. He was annoyed. “Please tell Rey that I have to go to Canto Bight, but she can pick my keys and credit card at Maz’s.” Finn’s jaw dropped again.

“Excuse me?! You are leaving to have fun at casinos right after you married my best friend and you expect her what? Water your plants?!” Ben sighed tiredly.

“Listen, fun is the last thing I’m going to have. It’s a work trip with a bunch of disgusting people that will have zero result. Trust me, I would rather face you and Rose with her trusty scissors. But I promised Rey that we could start renovations, so please, take the keys and the credit card and use them. And for God’s sake, don’t let her keep the checks, I’m not a fucking accountant.” Finn picked his jaw from the floor. He thought that Rey was crazy, but her husband was totally _nuts_.

“You seriously just leave me with the information on how to get access to your home and bank account? Just like that?”

“Please, I’m out of time, the boarding has started. Just tell Rey, she knows what to do. Thank you, bye.” The call ended. Finn stared in shock at the phone desperately wanting an answer to one question – what the fuck was that?

 

Just like Ben told Finn, the trip was an absolute waste of time. Snoke forced him and Hux to mingle with Canto Bight’s shrewd public while charming the prospective investors he had in mind. Nothing went as his boss expected. It was likely that the same person who tipped Snoke about money bags willing to spend a little, tipped said money bags about FO’s extreme willingness to take said money. As a result, Ben spent rather unsuccessful week in a company of very pissed Hux and he expected an earful from his boss on their return. The only bright spot was a steady flow of Rey’s messages informing him about her progress with BB’s bedroom. The domesticity of it made wonders to Ben’s mood (which was alarming, because he and Rey were just playing house, not building an actual family, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care).

Finally, after a long and tiresome flight he was home. Ben closed the door behind him, dropped his travel bag and then realized that someone was in his apartment. Ah, that was probably his wife. He quietly inched toward BB’s room and stopped dead in his tracks as he heard the grunts from the door.

“Harder!” demanded his wife’s voice.

“I’m trying, it doesn’t fit!” replied annoyed male. Ben’s brows shot up.

“It does!” replied Rey tersely, “you just have to push hard enough. They are supposed to fit.” The man grunted again.

“It’s too big.” Ben blinked. What the fuck was going on?

“It is not! Finn and Rose are just fine!” Rey huffed.

“Then maybe I should go and help them!”

“Don’t you dare!” grunted another male voice. Ben finally lost his patience and opened the door.

“What’s going on?” Four red with exertion faces stared at him. His wife wiped her forehead.

“We are building the furniture,” she gestured toward the mess of cardboard, wooden panels and half-built items.  Ben leaned on the doorframe.

“That I see. Why didn’t you order a service?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking, buddy,” a curly man beside Rey sighed dramatically. “I’m Poe, by the way, and those two are Finn and Rose.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ben,” he responded.

“We figured,” grumbled a dark-skinned man, Finn. Rose elbowed him gently and smiled, both her and Poe eyeing him appreciatively.

“Do you need any help?” he asked politely.

“No, you are ti…” started Rey.

“Pretty please,” interjected Poe. “This furniture is killing me. Maybe you can push hard enough for her liking.”

“OK, let me change.” Ben wasn’t entirely sure what had happened while he were out, but on his return Rey was sporting a blush, Finn was extremely grumpy and Poe and Rose wore matching grins. The curly man generously offered him the spot beside Rey. She just rolled her eyes.

“So, our Rey-bee says you are a big deal,” he grinned.

“I’m a COO of First Order,” Ben replied truthfully. His wife commanded him which pieces should go with which.

“A bunch of pretentious assholes,” muttered Finn.

“Oh, you have heard about us?”

“I worked for you for a week, a part-time job. It was horrible.” The man shuddered. “My boss’s boss, Phasma, scared the shit out of me.”

“That she can do,” Ben agreed.

“So, if you are a big boss, you’ll take our Rey on different functions?” asked Rose.

“That was the plan.”

“But have you practiced your PDA?” she asked innocently.

“Please, stop,” demanded Rey.

“Seriously, you’ll need to look like a couple,” grinned Poe. Ben raised his eyebrow.

“You should touch her, kiss her,” clarified Rose.

“Maybe you should take her on a date.”

“Should be fun,” the woman nodded. Ben decided that he definitely liked Rey’s friends

“Guys, I’ll kill you,” his wife promised.

“What, it’s only reasonable,” Poe made wide eyes.

“Finn, please, do something,” Rey groaned. The man shrugged.

“What? If he decides to make an honest woman of you, I won’t mind too much.”

“An honest woman?!”

“I kind of already did?” Ben blinked confusedly.

“Only more reasons to get to know each other more intimately,” grinned Poe. “And on this note we have to leave. So much to do, so little time.”

“U-hu, we are so late already,” Rose smiled widely tugging grumpy Finn behind her. “Bye.” And just like that Ben was left alone with his wife. He turned to Rey questioningly.

“What was that?” She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“My friends for you.” Ben shook his head. _This_ was definitely not how he imagined their first meeting.


	6. The Art Of Living Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living together is a great art.  
> Ben and Rey adjust to each other.  
> They have their first fight.  
> Rey discovers Ben's secret.

_“How was your day?” Anakin asks lightly. His grandson sighs._

_“As usual. Meeting, Snoke screamed at us, Snoke screamed at me personally, work, more work, another meeting, I almost punched Hux, more work, Phasma tried to get me out for a drink, I refused, I came here.” He frowns. “Yep, that’s it.” Anakin eyes his grandson. The boy is so young, he should be having fun with other young people, but instead all he does is work._

_“I think you should have gone with her, she sounds like a nice lady.” Ben snorts._

_“Clearly you haven’t met her. I mean, Phas is OK, but she can be a real pain in ass. Besides, I hate when she drags both me and Hux to ‘unwind’,” he says with disgust. Anakin cocks his head._

_“And when was the last time you got to ‘unwind’?” His grandson frowns._

_“Last… um, I’m not sure. Doesn’t matter.” He disagrees._

_“Ben, that’s not a way to live life. You should have something beside your work, friends, hobbies, people to spend time with.” The boy looks dumbfounded._

_“I have you.” But I won’t be around forever, he thinks sadly._

_“Someone your age. Maybe a pretty lady. Or gentleman. Whatever floats your boat.” Ben snorts. Silly boy._

_“I have enough on my plate as it is.” Anakin sighs deeply._

_“Just think about it. For me.”_

Ben has never had friends. Acquaintances – sure, but real, close friendship never. He was too shy and awkward as a child, too closed off and standoffish as an adult to bond with someone. Well, there was his grandfather and now Rey, but that was different. Nothing in Ben’s previous experience prepared him for the hurricane that Rey’s friends were. They basically forced themselves into his life taking him _and_ their fake marriage under their wing. Not only Poe and Rose were surprisingly enthusiastic, even Finn begrudgingly accepted him. The guys helped to finish renovations, moved Rey in, gave the two of them a bunch of advice and made sure their performance was nothing short of Oscar level.   The most reasonable idea came, surprisingly, from Finn.

“You missed one huge thing, guys,” he announced after Rose finished cross-checking Ben’s and Rey’s ‘official’ stories on how they met.

“Huh?” Ben raised her eyebrow. Poe frowned. Finn nodded fishing out his phone and showing them the screen. The backdrop picture was Rose making silly face.

“See? You two are together, but there is not a single photo to support it,” the man announced.

“Hey!” Rey pouted showing him the shot from the courthouse.

“OK, a single photo,” conceded Finn. “That won’t do if you want _this_ to be credible”.

“We can amend it easily,” Poe smiled wolfishly before forcing Rey on Ben’s lap. The couple shared confused looks. “Guys, say ‘cheese’!”

 

Ben didn’t exactly share the news of his nuptials with his colleagues. Despite knowing it was counterproductive he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he needed to protect Rey. The idea of Snoke or Hux prying into his personal life made him shudder. The longer he managed to put off their inevitable meeting, the better. On the other hand Ben did nothing to hide it. He wore his wedding band, he put Rey’s photo on his table and on his phone background. A perfect compromise, so to say.

Of course, the peace didn’t last long. He and Hux were screaming on the top of their lungs discussing quarter budget when Mitaka, pale and shivering like a leaf, pointed out his mobile phone.

“Sir, Mr. Snoke is calling.” Still reeling from his _talk_ Ben tersely replied the call, then slammed the phone on the table, not bothering to lock it. Rey’s adorable smiling face flashed across the screen. 

“Who is that?” asked Phasma.

“My wife,” he responded automatically. Three faces stared at him with identical slaw-jacked expressions.

“Your what?!”

“Ren, since when are you married? To a living woman, that is,” sneered Hux.

“None of your business,” Ben snarled, barely keeping himself in check. Phasma raised her perfectly-groomed eyebrow, her curiosity evident.

“Let me see,” she asked grabbing his phone with her well-manicured hand. “She is cute.”

“Is she even legal?” taunted the ginger. “You married sixteen-years old? Way to go, Ren, way to go.” At that Ben saw red.

“She is twenty-one,” he informed icily towering ower Hux, “and if you dare say another word about her…”

“Cut it down, both of you! We have a work to do,” barked Phasma.

“Not my fault he’s so touchy.”

“Another word, Armitage,” she promised, “and I’ll touch _you._ ”

“Fine, fine,” the ginger raised his hands in mock-surrender. Ben mouthed her quiet thank you. His marriage was safe. For now.

 

It wasn’t rare for him to return home in foul mood. Usually Ben just went to the gym downstairs to let out some steam. That day, though, he returned home just in time to see his new wife sorting through her clothes. Not that he was particularly interested in female attire, but the sight of her well-worn shoes, particularly winter boots that were falling apart, made something angry and protective unfurl in his chest. Ben made it to Rey’s room only to see her putting a threadbare winter jacket in almost-empty wardrobe. He cleared his throat.

“Oh, hi, I didn’t hear you,” his wife greeted him.

“You are really going to wear this?” Ben said instead. Rey immediately tensed.

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”                                                                                              

“They are falling apart,” he stated the obvious. “You should have replaced those ages ago,” he added pointing at her boots. She put her hands on her hips.

“Oh, really? Not all of us are filthy reach, you know?” Ben rolled his eyes.

“Well, maybe, but you can afford it now,” he insisted pointing at his credit card on the bedside table. Rey glared at him stubbornly.

“I am not taking your money.” He stubbornly glared back.

“What’s wrong with that? You didn’t feel so touchy about it last week.”

“That was for BB, not for me!” Rey responded angrily. The room cracked with tension. Ben wanted to shout some sense into her, but then he remembered their rule about fights and slowly breathed out. He could be the bigger person.

“OK, let me put it this way. If you are my wife, you should look the part.” She narrowed her eyes dangerously. “Right now you are breaking our agreement,” he finished triumphantly.

“Decided to play dirty?” Rey asked mockingly. Ben shot her a glare that made his colleagues melt into walls. His wife didn’t blink an eye.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Sweetheart. Take the bloody credit card _or else_.” She snorted. Well, the consequences were on her. He strode to his room and took out his phone.  

“Finn, I need your help. It’s about Rey.”

Thirty minutes later Finn with Rose in tow appeared on his doorsteps. Ben handed them his credit card with a smirk.

“Sweetheart, either you go with your friends or they are buying you a new wardrobe without your consent.” Rey glared at them. “I warned you, didn’t I?”

“You are an asshole,” she announced. “You all are.” Her friends smiled sweetly.

“We love you too, Rey,” beamed Rose.

“Come on, Peanut, you’ll like it,” called Finn after Ben discretely high-fived him. With final glare his wife followed. He closed the door with the feeling of deepest satisfaction.

 

Rey had never imagined herself married. When other girls wistfully thought about their special day she dreamed about her parents. Later, when she let go of her childhood fantasies, she always had other, more pressing matters to think of: food or grades or rent. Rey was a realist, things like love at the first sight didn’t exist in her word and marriage required way too much trust. She was too stubborn and independent for that.

With Ben things were different. Maybe the key point was that their arrangement wasn’t based on love. Maybe because he truly listened to her. Maybe because he knew loneliness as good as she did. Maybe because he was a genuinely good person. Either way Rey felt happy, cared, protected. It was weird, but also nice. The good thing was that they had their boundaries set, or else she could start to fall for him. And she didn’t need that, did she?

Rey was always good at protecting her heart. She rarely let anyone in, and those she did worked hard for it. Ben somehow did this without even realizing it, like that incident with her wardrobe or the time when she caught him reading. It was that rare occasion when he was home before her and the sight of Ben in his reading glasses frowning on his book unaware of being watched brought a smile to her lips.

“What are you reading?” Rey asked cheerfully. Ben blushed adorably.

“Um, just some info.” He lifted yellow cower with _How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk_ across it. The tangle of emotions she felt at that moment was too complex to discern. She wanted to thank him, to hug him and to kiss him at the same time. 

“Ben, you know you don’t have to do that?” she asked gently instead. He smiled shyly.

“Yeah, but Rey, I don’t really know a thing about children, I don’t want to mess everything up.”

“You won’t,” she said confidently, “you are a good person.” Ben sighed.

“That’s not enough. My parents were good people, but look at me.” Rey looked at him, befuddled.

“There is nothing wrong with you,” she said with conviction wondering who and how messed up this wonderful man’s head so much.

“U-hu,” Ben nodded dubiously. “I’m just trying to be better for you. And for BB.” He looked so serious and sincere that Rey couldn’t stop herself from leaning in and kissing his cheek softly.

“Thank you,” she whispered as her amazing husband flushed.

 

Rey yawned padding into the kitchen. She woke up from a bad dream that she couldn’t even remember and couldn’t fall back to sleep. A glass of water should do the trick, she thought. Rey blindly reached for a switch and squeaked. In the middle of the kitchen was her husband. Her shirtless husband. Her very fit, very attractive shirtless husband, clad only in a pair of track pants, who had no business to look that ripped working a desk job. Rey flushed all over. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen undressed men before, even attractive and naked, but inexplicably her throat went dry. She was thirsty. For water, obviously.

“What- What are you doing?” she mustered.

“Drinking water?” Ben said confusedly. “You OK?”

“Like that?!”

“Like what?” he frowned. Rey silently pointed at his state of undress. “Ah, sorry, I couldn’t sleep and went to gym downstairs.”

“Do you have a t-shirt or something?” she asked, her voice too high for her liking.

“Yeah, why?” Rey just stared. Ben flushed. “Oh, um, sorry about that. No one complained before.”

“I can get that,” she muttered under her nose.

“What?” Ben asked.

“What?” she squeaked mentally cursing herself. “Nothing! I’ll go. To sleep. Now. Good night.” Rey darted from the kitchen leaving her water and very confused husband behind.

 

“You sure he doesn’t have a dark and terrible secret?” asked Finn after Rey recounted how nice and sweet and considerate Ben was to her.

“Apart from his family?”

“Yeah, that’s already a pretty big deal,” agreed Rose.

“Then I don’t think there is something else,” pondered Rey.

“No jealous exes? No secret children? No hidden basement doors?” quipped Poe.

“Nope,” she grinned. “Though…” Her friends zeroed on at her.

“Rey?” She frowned. There was one thing that bothered her.

“The storage room. Ben didn’t give me a key.” Her friends looked at each other.

“Shit, I knew it’s too good to be true,” announced Finn.

“Why? The door can be closed for hundreds of reasons,” protested Rose.

“U-hu, like dead and dismembered bodies.” The girl kicked her boyfriend in a shin.

“Finn, I don’t want to upset you, but we would be able to smell them,” added Poe.

“Not if they are in the freezer,” responded Finn gruffly.

“Really?” both Rey and Rose glared at him.

“There is much more simple explanation,” grinned Poe.

“Oh?”

“It’s his secret sex dungeon,” the man announced smirking. Rey threw a pillow at him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Poe.”

“What, it’s possible,” he protested.

“Maybe it’s just really messy?” offered Rose.

“Or he keeps his fully decorated Christmas tree there?” Everyone stared at Finn. The man shrugged. “What? Rich people do dumb things.”

“He probably hides there his collection of bodice-ripper novels,” Rose grinned.

“Or ladies’ panties,” quipped Poe.

“Or My Little Pony,” mused Finn. “What? You never know,” he responded to confused stares. “Anyway, Rey, you must check this.” She shook her head.

“What? No, I trust Ben.” She did. She really did.

“Better safe than sorry, Peanut,” her friend insisted. “You are going to be responsible for another human being, you know?”

Rey wasn’t going to do anything stupid. She just wasn’t. If Ben didn’t give her the keys, than he had reasons for that. Unfortunately one thing stuck with her – everything was too good to be true. In her experience it would make so much more sense if her husband was some kind of modern Bluebeard instead of gentle, shy, sweet man he was. Then again, she would be responsible for a kid soon and she couldn’t allow anything happen to BB. Therefore it was her duty to look into it. She could blame Finn for that anyway.

One thing she learned during her life with Plutt was picking up locks. Rey didn’t do it for something bad, only to sneak out when necessary or to get in the pantry when that jerk forgot to feed her. It also came pretty handy when she managed to lock herself outside of her apartment. The clothed door was no different. A couple of minutes of fidgeting and she was inside. There were no dead bodies or sex toys or My Little Pony. Instead there were a bit of dust and different boxes. Rey leaned closer to see what exactly she stumbled upon and realized what kind of mistake she made.

 

Ben opened the front door and let himself inside. The apartment was quiet.

“I’m home,” he called. Silence. He frowned. Rey was supposed to be home by now. He put down his briefcase and loosened his tie. There was light coming from the hall. Ben went forward.

“Sweetheart?” His wife was sitting in front of the door he hoped she wouldn’t open. Around her were scattered boxes, old photos of a man with crooked smile, a woman with braided crown and a boy with ears too big for his tiny body. In her hand was a bunch of old letters. “My dearest Ani…” he saw on the top of one. She sniffed.

“Ben…” He sighed wearily.

“Rey.”

“What is it?” What could he answer? That this was his past? That this was his family history? That he couldn’t deal with his emotions so he chose just to lock them up?

“Sweetheart…”

“Why did you close this? All of this?” Ben tiredly lowered himself on the floor.

“These are my grandfather’s things. Those,” he pointed the boxes, “my mother’s gifts. Things she keeps sending me for holidays or when she feels like she has to pretend we are one big happy family,” he finished bitterly.

“You didn’t open them,” Rey stated.

“It’s too much.” Ben didn’t do feelings. He didn’t deal with them well. Or at all.

“And you didn’t get rid of them either,” his wife continued, her wide hazel eyes looking at him imploringly.

“I can’t, I tried, but I can’t. She is my mother after all.” His eyes burned. Probably from the dust. Rey’s hand gently covered his own.

“Ben.” He smiled half-heartedly.

“Sorry. I didn’t want to disappoint you.” Rey looked him straight in the eye.

“You did not,” she said intently. “I just… That’s not a way to live life. Let the past die, Ben. Open them.” His stubborn beautiful girl handed him scissors. Ben looked at her, then on the pile of boxes. Ten years of his life were packed there. Rey smiled encouragingly. He wondered how many times he thought about that and chickened out. He couldn’t do it alone. But that was the thing – he wasn’t anymore. With a deep breath he took the first box and cut the tape.


	7. Team Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben finally meet their respective goals.   
> BB finaly has a new home.  
> Ben tries to bond with his stepson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you imagine me posting consistently properly edited chapters? Yeah, me neither.

****Rey looked pensively into her teacup. Some people claimed that tea held all the answers, but unfortunately for her she didn’t possess the power to see it. There was too much uncertainty. Rey was worried about the adoption process despite all the reassurance from both Ben and Amilyn. So many things could possibly go wrong after all. And then again there was the whole situation with her husband. No, Ben was good, probably way too good. So good that she started to care for this sweet, gentle gorgeous man way too much for her liking. And wasn’t that a worrisome thought? Were her friends right in their teasing? No, they couldn’t. Ben and her were just good pretenders, that’s it. Whatever was between them, it wasn’t nothing more than friendship and a bunch of wishful thinking. That’s it.

The woman was so deep in her thoughts that she gave a start when a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

“Hi, Rey!” chirped Rose. Finn waved guiltily.

“Hi, guys,” she smiled. “How are you?” The short brunette grinned

“Peachy. You?”

“Fine, thanks.”

“How are things with Ben?” Rose jumped straight to the point. Rey considered her answer.

“OK, I guess.” Finn frowned.

“You guess? Is it about the door?” At the mention of it Rey blushed.

“I let you know that this is your fault,” she accused. “I went snooping.” Her friends immediately perked.

“And?”

“It was nothing. Family gifts, childhood photos, his grandfather’s things, stuff like that.”

“Oh,” Rose sighed disappointedly. “Then why did he lock it?” Not wanting to describe her husband’s inner turmoil Rey opted for the simplest answer.

“Bad memories. And Ben caught me snooping around.” She glared at Finn accusingly.

“Rey,” his eyes widened in alarm. Served him right.

“It’s fine, he wasn’t angry.” Rose leaned forward in excitement.

“And?” Well, the girl was going to get disappointed.

“And now Ben is one calligraphy set and a bunch of PJs richer, he had the cutest ears ever as a kid and his grandfather was a real romantic,” Rey answered with an eyeroll.

“And you kissed,” the other girl squealed.

“What? No! Why would we?”

“You know, you get to know each other, things get heated and so on,” Rose wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Finn gave her a side-eye.

“Rose, you should really cut down your fanfic consumption.”

“Oh, here is Poe,” Rey chimed, happy to divert the topic.

“Evening,” the man in question greeted them less enthusiastic than usual.

“You are early,” observed Finn.

“Yeah, I’m free tonight.”

“That’s new.” Rey raised her eyebrows. “Work was too easy today?” Poe squirmed uncomfortably.

“Yeah, about that. I kind of quit.”

“You what?!”

“Remember I told you about my old-fashioned boss who refused to do my adjustments to the flight route because it’s ‘too reckless’?” Rey suddenly had a bad feeling about that. “So I did it anyway behind her back and we fought and she tried to fire me and I said, that she can’t because I quit, so…”

“Shit, Poe,” Rose breathed sympathetically. The man shrugged.

“It’s fine, no big deal. The city is big enough to find something else.” Finn sighed.

“Man.”

“I’m OK, I promise,” Poe grinned. “Now let’s hound Rey for her love life.” _Well, so much for diversion._ She sighed before beginning to retell her week.

“So, our lawyer told us to expect someone from child service soon. She insists it’s just a perfunctory check but still…”

“You are worried,” guessed Finn.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t be. Why wouldn’t they give a kid to rich white couple if they were OK with someone like Plutt?" Finn made a point. Rose and Poe both hummed in approval.

“I don’t know. What if…” Finn rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It will be fine, trust me.” Rey hoped to all gods that he was right.

 

On the morning of their check Rey couldn’t stop fidgeting for a second. She cleaned the house twice, changed her outfit several times and even put light make-up on her face. Ben tried to reason with her but it was no use. Only when she cried in frustration fighting with her hair he lost his patience, firmly sat her down and did some kind of magic on her head. Rey looked at herself in the mirror in both shock and amazement taking in braided crown her sorcerer husband somehow conjured. The man had crazy talented hands, that was for sure.

“How?..” Ben smiled sadly.

“My mom used to let me help with her hair. That was probably the only time I could spend with her.” Rey’s smile dimmed.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine, don’t worry…” He was interrupted by a doorbell. They shared a look.

“Well, here goes nothing.”

The lady on their doorsteps has an air of formality, though her official pantsuit and clipboard clashed with her wildly curled hair.

“Mr. and Mrs. Solo? Good afternoon, my name is Larma D’Acy and I’m from Children Protection Service.” Rey smiled at her brightly.

“Please, do come in.” The woman looked surprised.

“Excuse me, but are you British?”

“American. I have British origins.” Larma nodded.

“Oh, I see.” She regarded both her and Ben seriously.” As you both know, this is a perfunctory check but want to make sure Bradley will be comfortable here.”

“We’ll try our best,” her husband immediately answered. The woman smiled.

“I’m sure of it. I had an honor to meet your mother before, Mr. Solo.” Rey made sure her face didn’t show any surprise. It wouldn’t look well if Children Protection Service noticed.

“Oh. Than you know that we take adoption seriously,” her husband responded smoothly while leading the woman through the apartment. It had always surprised Rey how he could switch from being shy to authoritative and in charge.

“I can notice that. You already don’t have fragile things accessible. Good,” Larma nodded approvingly scribbling something on her clipboard. “Huh.” Her brows raised as she noticed _How to Talk So Kids Will Listen_ lying around.

“Just a bit of reading,” Ben explained quickly. The woman nodded looking pleased. Though it couldn’t compare to the look on her face when the couple presented her BB’s room.

“Oh, it is impressive! I really like the ceiling design.” Rey was partial to the glowing stars herself and she was fairly sure their little charge would adore it.

“It was Ben’s idea. The stars glow in the dark and since BB has issues with darkness…” Larma nodded approvingly.

“Very thoughtful.” Rey couldn’t help but smile at her husband.

“He is.” The visible tip of Ben’s ear blushed at her praise.

At the end of her check Larma paused looking at Rey pensively.

“Mrs. Solo, I have a personal question: what led you to this decision? I can understand your husband with his family history,” at that Rey barely kept her face unchanged, though her curiosity perked, “but you are so young for parenthood. I understand that you do volunteering and Ms. Kanata gave you stellar recommendations but I would like to know your point.” _Maz gave her recommendations?_ Things became more and more interesting. The girl considered her reply. Amilyn insisted that truth was the way to go.

“Oh, I just want BB to have a chance I never had. I grew up in the system,” she explained. Larma’s eyes rounded in surprise.

“Oh. Sorry, I had no idea.” She scribbled something furiously then smiled toward the couple. “Well, I don’t have any further questions. It was pleasure to meet you both. We’ll contact you soon.”

As the door behind her closed both Ben and Rey breathed out in relief.

“You think we did it?” she asked him hopefully.

“I guess. You were amazing, Sweetheart,” Ben smiled at her.

“Not as good as you,” she quipped.

“We were both amazing, deal?”

“Yep. How about I get out of this dress and we have a celebratory pizza?” Ben’s bright grin made a funny thing to her insides.

“I thought you’ll never ask.”

 

When Snoke referred to Lor San Tekka he usually used words like ‘ _half-witted fool_ ’, ‘ _unfortunate victim of family bliss_ ’ or ‘ _ragingly_ optimistic idiot’. Now that Mr. Tekka was seriously considering of giving some of his money to FO, he was suddenly a ‘ _precious partner_ ’, a ‘ _highly important investor’_ and a person with _‘acute business sense’_. What an impressive change of heart.

Snoke personally conducted a tour around the main building showing proudly their sternly-looking offices and well-schooled employees. Mr. Tekka nodded and agreed in all the right places keeping a neutral smile on his face. Something told Ben that the man was far smarter than anyone gave him credit for. Only time could tell.

They all finally gathered in the conference-room, faces of his colleagues showing polite interest. If someone dared to as much as look the wrong way, Snoke would have their head for it. The deal was too vital to mess it up. The CEO sneered. Well, he probably smiled, but his facial features created something that looked like sneer.

“Before I start our meeting I would like to congratulate Mr. Ren with his nuptials.” Ben’s blood froze in his veins. How?.. Of course, Hux. The ginger menace grinned smugly.

“Oh? You are married? I had no idea,” immediately responded Lor San Tekka. “Best wishes to you and your wife,” the man said sincerely. Ben awkwardly cleared his throat. _That_ was exactly why he married Rey. Why did it made him so uncomfortable?

“Thank you. I just prefer to keep it private.” Snoke nodded supportively… or in something resembling support.

“Yes, yes, we know. On behalf of First Order I offer you our best wishes.” Ben mirrored his impersonal politeness.

“Thank you.” All niceties dealt with, the older man nodded to himself.

“Now let’s get to our agenda.” Ben sighed in relief. The necessary part was done. For now.

 

_“Have you called her?” Anakin asks suddenly. His grandson frowns._

_“Whom?”_

_“Your mother. It’s her birthday, you know?” Judging from his pinched expression Ben does know. Anakin understands, probably like no one else, how easily parents can hurt their children. He also knows how much recognition and forgiveness means._

_“She is busy anyway,” Ben replies curtly. His grandson is so stubborn, just like him. Like Leia. Like Padme._

_“That’s only one minute, I’m sure she’ll find time to answer.” The young man snorts._

_“Grandfather, you clearly don’t know your daughter.” Anakin looks at him intently._

_“But I know how much it means when your child calls you… or not calls you.” He sees guilt flashing in Ben’s dark eyes._

_“I…”_

_“Please, it will mean so much to her. One day, when you’ll have your own children, you’ll understand.” Oh, Anakin knows precisely how precious their attention, their love is. He only hopes that Ben will know it too._

 

He couldn’t remember the last time he lived with roommates, much less with an attractive woman or a child. At least Rey was an adult. BB, though… Ben hadn’t dealt with kids, ever. His parents’ approach to upbringing was based on three pillars: blackmail, threats and bribes. As an unwilling subject he could tell that this method was _not_ an efficient one. He had no idea how Rey was so natural with children. It seemed she just was good with everything.

Ben knew he wasn’t an actual parent to the kid, but now he was someone responsible for the little boy’s life and he wanted it to be a good one. A safe one. A happy one. Not like his childhood and definitely not like Rey’s. Whatever had happened to the boy was no good. At first Ben thought he was just shy and scared of his new place, clinging to Rey with all he might. _Kids need time_ , they were told. _It is normal_. But it was not normal for a child moving through the house as if it was a museum. Not normal to shrink when Ben was passing. Not normal to be afraid to ask for food. Not normal to wake up from nightmares (though this experience they shared). Ben remembered when he had used to dream about monsters under his bed. Leia had sent her husband to deal with it and Han being Han had just told him that monsters wouldn’t hide if they could move freely all over the room in the dark and Ben would be non the wiser. His parents had had yet another fight leaving him alone as always. Well, this approach wouldn’t help BB in any way.

The situation reached the critical point quickly. Ben was making coffee when the boy quietly entered the kitchen.

“May I have some water?” he asked shyly.

“Sure, buddy,” Ben responded not looking. He should have. The glass was standing too far for a kid to reach it. It just slipped past BB’s hands and broke. The boy’s face was a mask of pure horror.

“I’m so so sorry.” He started picking the sharp glass. Ben made a move to stop him.

“BB, don’t.”

“Please…” Kid’s bottom lip was trembling. Ben started panicking.

“It’s OK, buddy,” he tried to sooth him.

“Don’t make me go to the dark room,” BB whispered, fat tears running down his face.

“I won’t,” Ben promised frantically. “Please, don’t cry.” It didn’t work. He had no idea what to do with children and the boy recoiled from his touch. There was only one person who could figure it out. “Rey!” His wife, bless her, appeared immediately.

“On it,” she said picking the kid and taking him away. With the main crisis resolved Ben cleaned the kitchen figuring out his next step. When he was sure that everyone was calm he asked them to the living room. 

“Please, sit down. Both of you.”

“Am I in trouble?” BB asked with his eyes downcast. Ben immediately felt guilty.

“No, you are not,” Rey replied firmly.

“That’s what I want to talk about. BB, no one is going to take you to the dark room.” Ben paused to make a point. His wife stared at him intently. “Ever again, OK?” The boy nodded.

“U-hu.”

“No one is going to punish you,” the man continued. “Not for talking, not for asking for food, not for breaking the glass. I didn’t want to scare you, I just was afraid that you can cut yourself. OK, buddy?” BB lifted his head.

“OK.”

“You are allowed to ask for things, like, food or toys or sweets.” Ben paused, then amended. “I mean, you should eat your vegetables before sweets first, but you can have them. That concerns you too, Rey.”

“Me?” his wife blinked confusedly. He had to drive the point home.

“You can ask for things, you can buy things, you don’t have to ask me. I’m your husband, not your accountant.”

“OK,” Rey said dubiously.

“BB, if you break something, please, call Rey or me. We won’t scream or punish you, we are just worried for your safety, understand? We don’t want you to be afraid.”

“OK.” Ben exhaled in relief.

“And if something scares you, please, come to us. We won’t let anything happen to you, me and Rey.” The boy looked at him questioningly.

“Promise?” He smiled.

“Of course, buddy.” BB smiled back.

 

There was no surprise for him to wander into the kitchen around midnight. Ben has always had trouble sleeping. Apparently, so did BB. The boy padded to the table yawning deeply, his blue spaceship PJ complimenting his hair.

“Hi, buddy,” Ben greeted him tentatively, hoping he wouldn’t scare the kid.

“Hi,” BB replied with another yawn.

“Bad dreams?”

“Mhm.” Ben contemplated him a little. As an adult he was supposed to offer comfort but he wasn’t entirely sure how to do that, especially without Rey’s guidance. Then an idea stroked him.

“Would you like some ice-cream?” he asked. Everyone liked ice-cream, right?

“Yes!” BB nodded enthusiastically. Good, at least he was doing something right. Ben went to the fridge when the boy suddenly stopped him. “What is that?” he asked staring at Ben’s chest. The man frowned looking down. Following his agreement with Rey he started wearing shirts to bed and since he didn’t have a load of PJ tops, he used ones he unpacked from his mother’s gifts. Apparently Leia Organa had a quirky taste in sleepwear. The t-shirt Ben was sporting featured a bird that looked like ungodly combination of a penguin, a hamster and Puss-in-Boots.

“That? A porg.” BB frowned accepting his bowl of ice-cream.

“What is porg?”

“Hm? A bird, I guess.” Ben wasn’t quite sure the creature was actually a bird, but it had wings, so…

“It’s cute,” the boy informed him.

“It is,” Ben agreed. “You like birds?” BB grinned, his cheeks smudged with sugary treat.

“Yes! They can fly and they are very smart and did you know that they are closer to dinosaurs than reptiles? That’s so cool!” he gushed excitingly. His enthusiasm made Ben smile. “I like dinosaurs, but Mr. Smith says they are all dead. He says I can be pale- paleon-”

“Paleontologist,” the man supplied. BB nodded.

“Yes, but I don’t want to study _dead_ dinosaurs,” he said scrunching his little nose. It made him look a lot like Rey. Ben smiled amusedly.

“Well, they are mostly bones.”

“Still dead. It’s creepy. I like alive birds better.” At five the boy had more logic than some of his colleagues.

“You can always study them,” suggested Ben. BB mused over the thought.

“Yes,” he nodded seriously. “I like porgs. I want to be pornitoligist!” The man chocked on his ice-cream.

“Buddy, there is no such word,” he rasped after a fit of coughs.

“Porgeologist?” the boy tried. Ben smiled.

“Close. People who study birds are called ornithologists.”

“Cool. Hi, Rey,” he gritted his adoptive mother as she wandered into the kitchen yawning. She looked curiously at the display.

“Hi, what’s going on?” Ben shrugged. The whole interaction was a bit too surreal to describe.

“Um, we are eating ice-cream. Want some?” Rey wasn’t the one to turn down food.

“Sure. What’s that?” she nodded in the direction of his shirt.

“That’s a porg,” happily answered BB. “Ben said that when I grow up I can be hornithologist!” The man in question chocked on his ice-cream for the second time.

“Ben?” Rey asked frowning.

“Ornithologist,” he rasped. “BB wants to study birds.” The kid nodded.

“Yep, Ben is fun.” Rey looked between them, her eyes twinkling amusedly.

“Is he?”

“BB is not so bad himself,” he quipped.

“I’m happy to hear that.” Ben looked at happy faces of his wife and adoptive son. All his life he had longed for a family and maybe eating ice-cream in the kitchen at midnight wasn’t what he had used to imagine, he couldn’t remember being more contented in a very long time. Maybe ever. He caught Rey scrunching her nose. Yep, ever. Definitely ever.


	8. Porgeology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Solo family gets an uniform. Ben and Rey get new insights regarding their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I didn't abandon this fic! It will be finished and there will be a HEA. Sorry for such a long delay and thank you for your patience. A shout-out to fulcrum_of_pemberley, my wonderful and super-attentive beta!

_"How did you know?" Ben asks suddenly. Anakin blinks. He knows they were talking about something, but about what? He can't remember. This happens too often lately._

_"Know what?"_

_"That you loved her," his grandson repeats._

_Ah, the boy is such a romantic._

_"I just knew. Always have," he responds truthfully._

_"Then when did you realize you were in love?" presses Ben._

_The answer is simple._ _"When I saw her for the first time," Anakin smiles._

_His sweet boy frowns._

_"But you were, like, eight."_

_"And Padme was fourteen and absolutely gorgeous. I asked her if she was an angel and my classmates laughed at me for the rest of the year. Worth it," he smiles fondly at the memory._

_Ben stares. "You can't be serious. That was just a crush. You must have fallen for each other when you met again later."_

_Anakin shakes his head fondly, lips curled in a smile. "I loved her then just like I loved her later, just like I love her now. When you know, you know."_

_His grandson scowls. "You sound like Han."_

_"While I think that Leia could have done better than that scoundrel, this he got right, trust me," he pats his boy's hand, silently wishing him the same happiness he once had._

 

Ben smiled as he placed his order on Amazon. It was just a little surprise for Rey and BB, yet he couldn't help but grin imagining their faces. He had never expected to have something this close to a family of his own (not with the example he grew up with), but the time he spent with his wife and adopted son was simply precious. Somehow their nighttime snacks became an ordinary occurrence and Rey aptly dubbed it ‘midnight munching'. BB was warming up to him, too. Ben had zero idea about proper parenting, but that boy was just so easy to love that he wanted to do his best. 

A knock on the door startled him. Phasma stuck her blond head inside. "Do you have a minute? Hux left you the Knights accounts to check."

"Sure, come in." He had been waiting for those since Monday. Ben was in the middle of the file when he felt her staring. Phasma had the weirdest expression on her face- soft, incredulous, and amazed.

"What?" he frowned.

"Would it be odd if I say that marriage suits you?" she asked, not unkindly.

Ben blinked.  "I... you do know it's not real, right?" 

"Kylo, I know what you tell Snoke, but I also know you, and I haven't seen you this happy since... since college," the woman said sincerely.

"Gwen, Rey and I..." he looked at her, puzzled, "Wait, happy?"

"Is less miserable than usual good enough?" she scoffed. "There is a light in your eyes I haven't seen for a while. And it oddly coincides with your nuptials. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy for you. We may not be as close as we used to be anymore, but it's good to see someone get their shit together," she smiled. To see Phasma do that was startling. Ben realized that he couldn't remember the last time she (or Hux for that matter) looked _less miserable_. He sighed.

"What happened to us, Phas?" The three of them used to be best friends at college, having grown up with neglectful parents and itching to prove themselves. The life they were living wasn't the one they had dreamed of.

Her smile turned sad. "I don't know. Snoke? First Order? Adulthood? It wasn't like this back then."

"No, it wasn't." Back then they wanted to fix the world, not to sell it to the highest customer. Even Snoke back then was less of a tyrant and more of a visionary. Hux had been head over heels for Phasma. And none of them were stuck in an endless cycle of paperwork.

"I wish we could fix it."

"Me too," Gwen said wistfully. "I miss the old you, both of you."

Ben looked at her with understanding. "I thought you and Hux..."

"It's nothing, it can't even be anything here, especially with Snoke," she sighed. Their boss would gladly fire them both over any hint of commitment. "Besides, Hux needs to work on his drinking habits."

"His what?" Ben asked in shock.

"Yeah, that. He can't handle the stress. Snoke puts too much pressure on him," she looked away.

"I had no idea."

"I figured. But that's a talk for another day. I only wanted to say that whatever you’re doing is good for you.” Gwen looked at him pointedly. “Just keep your wife as far away from Snoke as possible."

"Trust me, I will," he promised. He would never let the old creep lay a finger on his family.

 

"What are you drawing?" Rey asked BB with interest, admiring his surprisingly detailed work for a five-year old. The boy grinned at her, his nose scrunching cutely. 

"A porg. When I grow up, I will be a professor and teach porgeology," he informed her seriously. “The kids in the school say I won't, but I will. They are dumb." The boy pouted.

For some reason it reminded her of Ben. She smiled fondly.

"Of course you will be," Rey reassured him gently, deciding not to focus on the negative emotions.

BB lit up. "That's what Ben says! He says I can be whoever I want."

Rey smirked. "Well, if Ben says..."

“He is nice,” her boy continued, completely enamored. It warmed her heart to see him open up to new people. “I like him.”

“I like him too, honey,” Rey sighed. She probably liked her gentle caring _fake_ husband way too much.

“Can I give him the picture?”

“Sure, Sweetheart,” she responded ruffling his vibrant red hair. “He'll like it.” And it would match her own gift perfectly. As if on cue they heard the door open.

“I'm home,” called Ben from the hall.

“Hi!” Rey greeted him. “Did some shopping?”

Ben blinked at her confusedly before remembering his packages. “Oh? No, it's a gift.”

Rey’s eager hands grabbed the boxes. She would never be over how sweet her husband was with his continuous flow of surprises. And how much _she_ enjoyed his attention. But this time he outdid himself.

“Aww, Ben!” was all she could muster, looking at cute matching porg-covered PJs, blue for her and orange for BB.

“Yay! I love porgs,” the boy cried excitedly.

“I know, buddy,” smiled Ben ruffling his hair just like Rey did five minutes ago. “Hope that's OK?” he looked at her, unsure.

“They’re so cute,” she cooed.

Ben’s shoulders relaxed.

“Now we’ll match,” he grinned. “A family look, so to say.”

Rey giggled, imagining them in porg-covered PJs eating ice-cream. “I _love_ it,” she proclaimed excitedly. “Oh, I actually have a surprise for you, too. Just don't laugh.”

Of course Ben did exactly that when she produced a porg-adorned key-chain. “Oh, Rey,” he barely managed to choke. She flushed.

“What? I know, I know, but you misplace your keys all the time and when I saw it...”

“It's perfect,” promised her husband, still chuckling.

“Really?” Rey asked hopefully.

“Really.” The smile he gave her made something in her stomach flutter wildly. And not in a friendly manner. Which was bad, very bad, considering that all of this wasn’t real. It was too easy to forget. Luckily, BB saved them from an awkward moment.

“I drew you a picture!” The boy looked proud of himself, hopeful, and insecure reminding her of how often he was rejected before. Not with Ben, though. He knelt near BB, taking the picture excitedly.

“Wow, thank you, buddy! _So_ beautiful. Let’s put it on the fridge, shall we?”

“Really?” the boy asked with hope. Rey’s heart ached at how starved the poor kid was for affection.

“Really, buddy,” Ben promised. “I’m sure we would be happy to see it every time we use the kitchen, right?” He looked questioningly at his wife. If she wasn’t already mush, she would certainly turn into it now.

“Absolutely.” The drawing fit perfectly between the pictures of them that Poe made before. It looked like it was meant to be.

 

The moment Ben turned the key in the door and heard his wife’s long-suffering moan, he knew that something was wrong.

“I can’t do it!” wailed Rey in frustration.

“You can and you _will_!” threatened Finn.  

 “What’s going on?” Ben asked first thing, seeing his wife tearing at her hair while Finn and Rose glared at her.

“Rey won’t pass her class,” quipped BB, completely nonplussed by the whole commotion. He was putting his Crayola markers to good use without worrying about adult trouble.

“Rey _will,_ ” Finn insisted.

Ben looked between them, confused. She was a stellar student, how could it come to this?

“What is the subject?” he asked instead.

“Art history,” they all replied simultaneously.

“Freaking electives,” his wife muttered under her breath. “This is your fault,” she rounded on Finn again.

“Mine? I didn’t force you to take it!”

“You said it was easy!”

“It is easy!”

“What exactly is their problem?” Ben whispered to Rose.

“Finn’s buddy is Rey’s professor’s TA,” the girl whispered back.

“If I knew he would make us guess the painter from a picture, I would never had agreed to this torture!” Rey snapped.

Finn rolled his eyes.

“OK, what is this?” he held up a card with da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

“Oh, I know this one,” she said surprisingly gleefully. “It’s by that super-famous dude, you know, the one that painted that weird smiling lady. She is in some famous museum, there even was a book about her. I just can’t remember his name.”

“You mean da Vinci?” Ben asked carefully.

“Yes!”

Finn smacked his forehead with a groan. “She won’t pass.”

“I won’t pass,” agreed Rey.

Ben frowned. “Hey, may I take a look at the cards?”

“Be my guest,” the other man huffed.

It took him fifteen minutes to go through the cards and sort them into neat piles. The trio watched his actions with rapt attention.

“So, Rey, how about a super-short art history lesson from me?” Ben questioned his wife.

“Whatever, just don’t set your expectations too high.”

“Here goes nothing, Sweetheart.” He picked up the first picture. “So, if everyone in the painting should have cut out junk food, like, yesterday, it’s Rubens. If every lady has a uni-brow, it’s Frida. If you think that the artist was high, it’s Dali. If everyone is naked, beautiful and ripped, it’s Michelangelo. Oh, and that’s simple; see a ballerina, say Degas. If everyone has some body malfunction, it’s Picasso. If all the men look like drunken Dameron, it’s Caravaggio. Excel spreadsheet with colored squares is Mondrian. Dark background and tortured expressions are certainly Titian. Hobos illuminated by a dim streetlamp are Rembrandt. Tons of little people, but otherwise normal, it’s Bruegel. Tons of little people, but also a ton of crazy sh...,” Ben glanced at BB, “stuff, it’s Bosch. And my favorite – if everyone, even women, looks like Putin, then it’s van Eyck.” He smirked at the three faces with mouths agape. “And Rey, please memorize Mona Lisa.”

“How do you even know all of this?” his wife asked in awe.

“My mother’s… um, the person responsible for my education had some outdated ideas. Like, nineteenth century level outdated.” Ben shuddered remembering Threepio. The man had been nothing if not determined to give ‘young master’ a comprehensive education.

“You studied art history?” Rose raised her eyebrow.

“Among other things. You know, languages, etiquette, dancing, horse riding, fencing…”

Finn whistled. “Wow! What languages do you speak?”

“French, Italian, bit of German, Russian badly, and thank the Maker we didn’t get to Chinese,” Ben winced.  Who knew what else he would have had to learn if his parents hadn’t shipped him off to Luke.

“Seriously?” both Rey and Rose stared at him in shock.

“Say something in Russian,” demanded Finn.

“Kak naprimer?”

The trio was utterly delighted. “He speaks!”

“Kto by mog podumat’,” Ben deadpanned.

“You are a literal Disney prince! Rey, you married a prince!” squealed Rose. “Does that make her a princess?”

“I doubt it,” he answered seriously. “My grandmothers did have some connections to royalty, but…”

“I can’t, I just can’t,” announced the Asian girl, fanning herself. “Rey-bee, you’ve hit the jackpot.”

“I can see that,” responded his wife, still a bit shell-shocked.

Ben shook his head, chuckling. “Seriously, it’s no big deal, plenty of people speak other languages.”

“But not all of them fence and can tell one artist from another,” pointed out Finn. “Which brings us back to the matter at hand – Peanut, who drew this lovely chubby lady?” 

 

Snoke eyed him askance all morning. San Tekka was coming to negotiate a preliminary draft and Ben couldn’t stop fidgeting, thinking of his wife’s impending test. Snoke had basically locked them with Hux and Phasma in a meeting room, making them go through the presentation a thousand times. When the CEO finally left them alone citing a headache they all breathed in relief. Ben practically jumped out of his seat to stretch his legs.

 “Pass me the phone, please,” he asked Mitaka, worried that he still hadn’t received a reply from Rey. The man grabbed the gadget, accidentally making the screen flash.

“Is that...?” he froze with round eyes.

“What?” Ben frowned.

“Your wife?” Mitaka uttered in tone more fitting for unicorns and mermaids. Though Rey could probably pass as one.

“Yes,” he responded curtly. At that point Hux and Phasma also took turns to glimpse the photo.

“Bloody hell, is she even legal?” the obnoxious ginger snorted. “Way to go, Ren, way to go.”

“Rey is twenty-one, though I fail to see what it has to do with you,” Ben replied through clenched teeth, grabbing his phone. Still no messages from his wife.

“She is very pretty,” Phasma interjected diplomatically.

“Too pretty,” Hux narrowed his eyes. “How did you trick her into marriage? Was she drunk? Did you blackmail her?”

Ben clenched his hands into fists, his temper already short to begin with. “One more word and I'll rip you a new one,” he promised darkly. The ginger scoffed.

“Boys, play nicely. Or else,” admonished Phasma. They never got to know what _else_ entailed as their boss returned in a mood even fouler than when he’d left. 

Of course Snoke put it on Ben to entertain Mr. San Tekka before the negotiations started. Who would fit better than his young apprentice to entertain the old fool while Snoke himself would deal with another impeding headache? Ben himself believed that Mr. San Tekka was no fool. He might have smiled and nodded at all the appropriate places, but his eyes noted sharply all the odd pauses, all the minuscule discrepancies, all the forced smiles. No, their prospective business partner saw right through them. Which made Ben question why exactly he chose to proceed with the deal. Oh, Ben didn’t complain, he simply didn’t understand.

So here he was, making small talk with a man who could either secure or ruin the future of their company, while his brain was more preoccupied with how Rey and her test were doing. When his phone finally pinged with a message, Ben almost jumped. “Excuse me.”

San Tekka just smiled and waved him off. A quick check revealed that not only had she passed, but did so with flying colors, or at least her emojis and an ‘ _it was Putin’_ implied so.

“Good news?” San Tekka asked politely.

“My wife,” Ben replied, still grinning like a fool.

“Oh?”

“She passed an exam,” the young man explained, making sure his colleagues were out of sight. “I'm just so proud.”

“You love her a lot, don't you?” San Tekka guessed, his eyes sparkling.

“I...” Ben faltered. He did, didn’t he? “Yes, I do,” he admitted more to himself than to the other man. He was in love with his own wife.

 

Rey couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly was wrong with Ben. He just had this odd look every time he glanced at her, but when she asked him he said he simply had a difficult day. In her opinion, he was working too much. It was a pure wonder how he managed to make time for her and BB, especially considering they were not even his real family. Yes, her husband was good like that.

Ben brought home celebratory ice-cream to mark her successfully passed test. He always asked BB about his day. He watched with them a silly movie Rey picked. He was a model husband through and through. She almost wished he stopped being that good, or else the butterflies in her stomach would go completely crazy. And no one would want that, right?

And then BB asked Ben to tuck him in. It made Rey so happy to see her boy so trusting and her husband so kind. Despite what he’d said, Ben was a natural with kids. And he certainly had the best stories. She watched wistfully as he tucked the boy in snug as a bug and began.

“Once upon a time, in a galaxy far away, there lived a prince…”

The scene was so sweet and domestic that Rey suddenly came to a realization. This – this life, this family – was everything she had ever wanted. 


	9. Family Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia gets the news. Ben and Rey are very thoughtful partners. The Solo family spends their first Halloween together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland related to me? Probably, I'm always late, too. So here I post a Halloween chapter ten days later and trust me, I can do worse ;)  
> Many-many thanks to my lovely beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

_Anakin frowns as his grandson pushes away his phone. “Who was that?”_

_“Huh? No one,” the boy flushes. He is so bad at lying. From the corner of his eye the old man catches the name on the notification. Leia._

_“Ben,” he sighs heavily. Why does his family keep doing this to themselves again and again? It’s his fault, he knows. Padme would never have let it come to this._

_“What?” Ben snaps. “I don’t want to reply.”_

_Poor boy always attacks when he is hurt. His parents hurt him, but Anakin knows they are hurting, too. He had experienced it first-hand. “We talked about that.”_

_“We did,” Ben responds grumpily._

_“It would make your mother so happy,” the old man says softly. “I would know.”_

_“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” the boy mumbles guiltily._

_“No, I am.” He knows that all of it is his fault, can’t forget that. “If only I’d tried harder.”_

_“Don’t say that,” Ben protests._

_“It’s true. I just don’t understand how my daughter could repeat my mistakes.” His grandson’s story breaks his old heart all over again._

_“It runs in the family?” the boy offers with a wry smile he inherited from that scoundrel. His eyes, though, are all Padme. God, how he misses her._

_“I hope not,” Anakin scoffs, then bends over in a fit of coughs. “Don’t be like me, Ben. Break the circle. Your family is the most important thing you have. No, the only important thing,” he corrects himself. The wretched phone rings this time. They both stare at it with the various level of apprehension. “Please, for me.”_

_“For you,” his boy sighs and presses the answer button._

 

‘Don’t freak out’ became Ben’s everyday mantra. ‘Don’t freak out when your boss asks you uncomfortable questions’, ‘don’t freak out when Rey is smiling at you’, ‘don’t freak out that you are in love with a woman with whom your relationship hash a termination date’ were his everyday companions. It’s not like he could do anything about it. He could do nothing about Snoke. He wouldn’t do a single thing to upset the fragile equilibrium that was his relationship with his wife. And he most certainly had no one he trusted to talk to about it. Ben wished so often that he could speak with his grandfather again. Somehow Anakin had always known the right thing to say.

Perhaps he could have used some parental advice but it wasn’t like Han had ever tried. Besides, they didn’t really talk, all their communication was done through Leia.  Having grown up like that, Ben went above and beyond to make sure BB could talk to him about anything. The boy deserved the good father figure he himself never really had.

No, the right course of action was to keep his relationship with Rey as it was: stable, secure, safe. And, unfortunately, platonic. After all,  _she_ had entered into the agreement not expecting her husband to crush on her like a schoolboy. It was unfair of him. Rey deserved to feel comfortable.

Comfortable was a good word to describe their marriage. They shared their meals and duties over BB, they spent their free time together, they watched the same movies and ran at the same park; the sheer domesticity was too easy to get lost in. Ben should have known better than to let himself relax. He knew how his life worked.

He just didn’t expect it to go like this. It was a lazy Sunday morning when he and his little family were just lazing around. BB was putting his crayons to good use, Ben was checking his e-mail, Rey lazily flipped through TV channels. When the phone rang, his wife was the first to reach it.

“Good morning. Yes, this is his apartment. No, I’m not a cleaning lady. No, I’m his wife. Yes, I can pass him the phone.”

He looked at her with a frown as Rey scrunched her nose. If Ben wasn’t so distracted by it, he would have checked the caller ID before he answered, “Hello?”

“Benjamin Bail Organa Solo!” screeched the shrill voice. “You are _married?!_ ”

“Hi, mom,” he sighed, suddenly feeling much heavier.

Rey paled. _Mom?_ she mouthed. Ben could only nod.

“I thought I raised you better,” Leia accused him in tone he knew all too well. “You could have at least told me.”

She had him there. “I was going to,” he sighed.

“When? I gave you birth, Benjamin, I have a right to know what my son is up to.”

His mother’s words rubbed him the wrong way. “Oh, really? Since when are you interested?” he asked sharply. A pregnant pause hung between them.

Leia sighed tiredly. Ben could almost see as she pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation, hearing the old argument again.

“I am interested _now_. Who is she? What is her name? Who are her parents? Ben, are you still here?” she questioned as silence followed.

He forced himself to get it together. That’s what his grandpa would have wanted. Not to linger on the fact that it took only ten years for his parents to remember his existence, but to build the relationship anew. Well, _try to_. “Her name is Rey, she is a student, her parents are dead. Satisfied?” he couldn’t help but jab.

Leia gasped. “Benny, are you telling me that you’ve married a little gold-digger half your age?”

Blood roared in his ears. Of all possible conclusions, she came to _this_?! His family could treat _him_ like that, but never _Rey_.

“I am ending this call right now,” he gritted through clenched teeth.

“No!” she cried out. “No, please! Don’t! I’m sorry, I didn’t… I’m just worried about you, please, don’t.”

Ben was feeling the usual mix of emotions his parents evoked in him, guilt, regret, anger, and annoyance fighting for dominance. But he promised Anakin, didn’t he?

“Mother, I can tolerate a lot of things, but I _won’t_ tolerate you speaking about my family like this.”

“Family? As in… Is she _expecting_?” Leia asked carefully, her tone no longer accusing.

“We adopted.”

“You adopted,” she repeated faintly. “And didn’t tell me.”

Something akin to guilt stirred inside his chest. “I’m sorry for that, I was going to.” And then the old hurt was back. “You didn’t exactly tell your father things either.”

His mother’s sigh was very, very sad. “Ben… I just… I want to see you happy,” she confessed quietly.

He turned back to see Rey looking at him with genuine worry. In the other room the boy whom he now considered his own was quietly drawing porgs. His little family was here and it was as close to happiness as Ben could get.

“I am,” he replied.

“I… Please, come home for Thanksgiving. Please,” begged Leia. “Let us meet your family.”

Ben looked at his wife with a frown. He wasn't thrilled with the prospect.  “I’m not sure it’s a great idea.”

“Please. Wouldn’t Rey want to meet us?” his mother asked. She knew where to hit. With her background, his wife had a special regard for family. It’s just that going to a Solo-Skywalker dinner was asking for a disaster.

“I’ll think about it,” he promised reluctantly.

“Thank you, Benny.” Was that a sob? Leia never got upset in public. “I love you.”

“I know,” he mumbled before disconnecting, rubbing his face tiredly.

“Are you OK?” Rey asked timidly, wrapping her arms around him.

Ben returned the hug, burying his face in her hair.

“Yes. I am now.” That wasn’t quite true, though. “ _A family reunion on Thanksgiving_. Fuck.”

His wife frowned. “That’s in a month.”

“ _Only_ a month.”

“Do you want me there?” Rey looked at him curiously.

Ben smiled weakly.

“Are you offering? Because I don’t think I can do it alone.”

She hugged him a bit tighter. “You are not alone, remember?”

“I do.” He wondered how she was doing it – making everything brighter just like that. “Neither of us are now.”

 

Ben felt slightly guilty that he had so little chance to do anything for Rey. His wife was fiercely independent and self-sufficient, and not good at receiving gifts on top of that. Even worse, she agreed to attend his family dinner, without realizing what a shitshow she was going to get. At least they agreed to leave BB out of that, poor boy already had more than his fair share of bad memories. He didn’t want him to think that holidays looked like _that_. Ben was so fixated on the impending doom of _family reunion_ to notice how worked up Rey was until he heard her throw a book across the room.

“Ugh!”

“You OK, Sweetheart?” he called.

“I am a shitty mother,” Rey grumbled from behind a pile of books, worksheets, and papers. The workload of an aeronautical engineering student was truly scary.

“A _what_?” Ben uttered in utter bewilderment. “What are you talking about?” His wife gave the boy more love and attention than he himself had gotten from his mother, father, and uncle combined. Not more than an hour ago she dropped all her studies just to tuck him in. Where did that ridiculous idea come from?

“I am a shitty mother, Ben,” she said seriously, a pained expression on her face. “I’m really trying to be there for BB, all the time, I worry about him, but with uni I feel like I need to clone myself. My friends help _so much_ and you are _so good_ and I’m just… Ugh,” she finally stopped her desperate ramble.

Ben was at a loss for words. He felt guilty that he’d had no idea she felt this way. He’d promised to be there for her and he failed to do that.

“Rey, Sweetheart, maybe we should hire help?” Ben asked gently.

Her face immediately hardened.

“I don’t want my child to be raised by a nanny!”

Could he fall in love with this woman more than he was already? “And neither do I, trust me,” he insisted, shuddering to remember all the times he was waiting for his absent parents while yet another faceless woman had demanded he be a good boy. “But what about help just for a couple of hours? When neither you, nor Finn, nor Rose can make it?” Ben kneeled before her, taking her hands in his as Rey eyed him dubiously. “Just a safety net. It won’t make you a bad mother, you know that? You love BB with all your heart and you care about him. You just need to take care of yourself, too.”

“You are too good to me,” she mumbled at his gentle insistence.

“Nonsense,” he smiled fondly.

 

Ben knocked on the door before letting himself into Phasma’s office. He was lucky to be among the rare few who could come in uninvited without fear of her wrath. Usually he didn’t abuse his privileges, but now was an exception. “Gwen, are you busy?”

The blonde lifted her perfect eyebrow in question. “Kylo? What a surprise. Do you need something?”

He certainly did, he just wasn’t sure how to phrase it. “Um, I need a nanny.”

“And here I thought you were a big boy,” Gwen deadpanned, making him flush.

Ah, the things he did for his family.

“Not for me, for BB.”

“I figured,” the woman snorted, her hands already busy with her notebooks. “Are we talking about full or part-time?”

“Part-time. Just to help Rey balance parenting with her degree.” And to get all that ‘bad mother’ nonsense out of her head.

Phasma looked through her contact list pensively, then smiled. “I see. Hm, I think I have exactly what you need.”

 

Rey stared dumbfoundedly at the slip of a paper her husband procured for her. “AJ-3146? What is _that_ supposed to mean?” 

Ben shrugged. “I think it’s her name and apartment number or something. Phasma has a really odd way to list her contacts.” _To put it mildly._

“And you trust her?”

“She’s our dead of HR, she is that good.” After working for Snoke, you start reading people like an open book. “As I understood this girl is studying to become a primary school teacher. Not bad for a babysitter,” Ben said encouragingly. His wife deserved a little bit of time for herself. If only he could get away with fewer working hours….

Rey still looked hesitant. “I don’t know,” she bit her lip.

“Let’s invite her for an interview, what do you think?”

His wife sighed, conceding. “OK.”

Phasma was freaking good at her job, Ben had to give her that. Anna Jade, ‘please call me AJ’, turned out to be a sweet, determined young lady with vast knowledge of the latest cartoon characters and an endless well of patience. She became heart-eyed the second Rey mentioned her degree.

“You’ll build rockets? Or spaceships, or satellites? Wow, you are so cool!”

Ben’s line of work impressed her far less, not that he cared. What he did care about were his wife and son, and BB took to his new babysitter immediately, especially since AJ adored both porgs and drawing. Watching the two happily chat together, Rey let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning into Ben’s side.

His chest filled with pride. Finally he was doing something right.

 

Rey felt guilty about how much easier things had become ever since they’d hired a babysitter. BB was a model child, yes, but her education was extremely demanding. She had already had to let go of her job at Cantina, something that had required a lot of trust in Ben, that made her vulnerable and dependent, but also gave her time to raise a kid. After she realized that she still couldn’t do that all by herself, Rey felt as if she were letting down both BB and her husband. Ben would have none of it. He was so kind and reassuring, insisting that it was his direct duty to make her life easier and uphold his part of the deal. _The deal_. Rey scowled just thinking about it. If not for that… What would their relationship look like? Would her husband be as wonderful and caring? Would he be interested in her as a person? If only they had met under different circumstances, then maybe, just maybe, they could have built something not tainted by deals and contracts and obligations. If only.

Somehow she’d developed feelings toward Ben that she wasn’t ready to unpack yet. It wasn’t something Rey had planned on and it wasn’t even something she could name properly, only that she knew she wanted him happy, safe, and near. And if it included handling his supposedly dysfunctional family or his ridiculous colleagues… Well, Rey had seen worse.

Her musings were interrupted by the shrill sound of her phone.

“Hi, Sweetheart, are you home?”

“Yes, just got back from uni, why?” she asked, frowning. Ben usually preferred to text.

“I forgot my documents at home, it’s freaking _urgent,_ ” he sounded like the last word wasn’t addressed toward her. Rey checked the time. If she was really fast, she could get to FO and back just in time to get BB from school.

“Don’t worry, I’ll swing by.” _Doting wife detected._

“Thank you, you’re an angel,” Ben sighed in relief. “I’ll call you an Uber.”

The First Order building looked exactly like Rey expected – posh, pretentious, expensive. She felt out of place in her simple jeans and sweater, clutching a folder with her husband’s papers to her chest. People around her wore expensive suits and watches, all of the women sporting heels and perfect make-up. This was the world Ben, no, Kylo, came from. The world Rey wasn’t a part of. Steeling herself, she smiled at the receptionist.

“Hello, how can I find Mr. Ren?”

“Good afternoon. And you are?” The very beautiful, very uninterested girl asked her.

“His wife.”

The receptionist’s face immediately morphed into a shocked expression, then into a pleasant smile. “Oh, of course, Mrs. Ren, follow me.” The name sounded wrong to Rey’s ears. She was a Solo now, but she was here for her husband and she was going to show them all a perfect united front.

The receptionist led her through the glass-and-steel futuristic interior of the building, easily navigating between the complicated sets of corridors and elevators until she entered a reception office and whispered something to a dark-haired, nervous secretary. The man took a quick glance at Rey before knocking on the inner office door and entering.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ren.”

“We are busy,” snapped a voice that was decidedly not Rey’s husband. Who could be so rude?

The receptionist slightly paled. “Please wait here,” she whispered and made a move to go.

“Thank you,” Rey whispered back to her.

The girl looked genuinely surprised. “You’re welcome.”

What was wrong with this place that simple politeness was so unexpected?

Rey’s musing was interrupted by the reappearance of the secretary who motioned her inside. There, around a massive dark table, were gathered Ben, a tall pasty scowling ginger, and an Amazonian blonde. Before she could say anything, the ginger narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“You are her,” he said with a frown. “Ren’s wife.”

“Rey, nice to meet you,” she smiled nicely, despite the fact that he was still scowling.

“Armitage Hux, CFO,” the man said haughtily.

“Gwendolyn Phasma, the head of HR, and Dopheld Mitaka, my assistant,” Ben introduced the rest of his colleagues, glaring daggers at Hux.

“The pleasure is ours,” smoothly interjected the blonde, apparently the person responsible for finding BB a babysitter.

Rey relaxed slightly, smiling at her.

“You look even younger in person,” Hux observed in a detached manner. “Seriously, Ren, you are old enough to be her dad.”

“Excuse me?” Rey asked indignantly before Ben could intervene. _Who the fuck did this man think he was?_

“You look like a teenager,” he pointed out.

“Hux!” growled Ben, making Mitaka hunch his shoulders. Phasma made a move to stand between the two men and suddenly Rey was worried about the ginger’s life and safety.

She promptly passed Ben the folder.

“I think it’s time to pick BB up,” she smiled at him, carefully ignoring the rest of the room.

“Who’s BB?” Hux asked without interest.

“Our son,” Ben muttered, his eye twitching.

This made the ginger stare at him agape.

“Oh my, you already managed to knock her up?”

“I didn’t…”

“I wasn’t…”

“You married _a mommy_? How _old_ is he?”

“Five, not that it’s any concern of yours,” Rey snapped, forcing herself not to kick the odious man. Maybe she shouldn’t have stopped her husband. Hux would have profited from a kick to his pale ass. Were all of Ben’s colleagues that awful? Would it be so bad to let this company crumble?

“Fuck, Ren married a teenage mom,” the ginger muttered to himself. “How old were you, twelve?” he asked Rey, and suddenly all her reservations were gone.

“Mr. Hux,” she rounded on him, “I’m deeply concerned that First Order put in charge of their finances a person who couldn’t do a _simple math_. Do you know how to use a calculator?”

“I… what?” he asked in utter bewilderment as Rey’s eyes gleamed with wicked satisfaction.

“I’m twenty-one, BB is five, which would have made me sixteen back then, but, just so you know, he is adopted. Do you want to grace me with any more of your wisdom?”

The man blinked at her.

“I thought so. Have a nice day, gentlemen and lady.” She quickly planted a kiss on Ben’s cheek. “Try not to kill him, will you?” she whispered into his ear. The last thing Rey saw on her way out was an awestruck expression on her husband’s face. Doting wife? Nailed it.

 

It was a big day, the first Halloween BB was going trick-or-treating with a real family and Rey could barely contain her excitement. They had matching costumes, her friends were going to meet them at Cantina (which Maz turned into a real witch’s den) and the only thing missing was Ben. He’d worked crazy hours lately, but promised to be there on time. And he was; the look on his face when she opened the door was priceless.

“Rey?” he asked in shock. She self-consciously ran her hand through a short black wig, smiling shyly.

“Hi.” She enjoyed the way her husband’s eyes traveled down her black dress and striped stockings of her Mavis costume. “We were waiting for you.”

“What… what’s going on?”

“This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, hi, Ben!” yelled BB from behind her, his vibrant hair particularly wild and curly thanks to Rey.

“Hi, buddy,” Ben smiled fondly, crouching down.

“Why aren’t you wearing a costume?” the boy frowned.

“In a second, honey,” Rey responded. “Dracula or Jonathan?” she turned to Ben.

“Excuse me?”

“Your costume? It makes more sense if you are Jonathan but I have a feeling you won’t like this,” she waved a curly red wig in front of him.

Her husband recoiled in horror.

“Goodness gracious. Are we doing _Hotel Transylvania_?”

“Yep,” Rey grinned, pleased that he recognized BB’s favorite movie. “You just need a cape.”

“Do you like my costume?” the boy twirled around in excitement.

Rey chuckled. What would he be like _after_ a sugar rush?

“Of course, buddy, you are a great Dennis,” Ben said seriously.

“Who will you be?” their son stared at him with wide brown eyes.

“Looks like Dracula,” Ben sighed as Rey happily fastened his cape and fiddled with his hair to make it more movie-like.

“You’ll be Rey’s Daddy,” BB squealed, making Ben cough viciously. “Cool! Rey, Ben will be Daddy Dracula.”

“I know, honey,” she chuckled, peeking at her flustered husband. God, the man was shy. “Now be still for a second,” she asked him to make the last-minute adjustments. “Come on, Ben, the candy won’t trick-or-treat itself.”

Rey was couldn’t remember a happier Halloween. There had been several good ones in her better foster homes and the fun ones she had shared with her friends, yet none of them compared to how she felt with her own family. BB was holding both hers and Ben’s hands, happily walking between them, a smudge of chocolate on his cheek. Rey couldn’t find it in her to ask the boy to go easier on sweets. They had made a round of trick-or-treating through the neighborhood before going straight to the Cantina to catch some child-friendly (at least for the next couple of hours) fun. Rey’s friends waved to her enthusiastically, Rose and Finn sickeningly cute as the couple from Labyrinth and Poe dashing as always in his WWII pilot uniform. BB was dragged into some game the other kids were playing with Ben following to supervise him, leaving Rey to catch up. She knew she didn’t have much time to stay, so she gladly jumped into the discussion of Rose’s classes, Finn’s new favorite series, and Poe’s majestic human being of a new boss he wouldn’t shut the fuck up about. Time flew. As her friends ventured to conquer the dance floor Rey realized that BB’s bedtime was nearing and she’d better say hi to her former boss while she could.

“Rey, my sweet girl, long time no see!” Maz greeted her happily, looking like the true pirate queen she was. “Is your boy with you?”

“Which one? You need to be more specific,” Rey smiled cheekily.

“Oh, both, I meant both.”

“Over there,” Rey nodded toward Ben who was now holding BB on his shoulders so that he could check the ceiling decorations.

“You did a number on him,” Maz observed fondly. “Family was exactly what he needed.”

“BB? He’s such a sweetheart.”

“Yes, yes, definitely sweet.” The older woman’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Well, have fun, child, some of us have a job to do,” she winked.

Rey grinned and nodded, turning toward her table and colliding with a blond-headed witch. Luckily, they both were empty-handed and nothing was spilled. As she straightened up, she suddenly recognized her former co-worker.

“Rey!” cried out Kaydel. “How are you?”

“Hi, Kay, I’m great, you?” she returned the enthusiastic hug.

“Me, too. Are you here with someone?” Kay smiled, ready to invite her along.

“Ah, yes, my…” Rey’s eyes automatically landed on Ben and BB. Had she told Kaydel about the marriage?

“Is that your nephew?” the blonde asked.

“Um, no…”

“Wow, is that your _boyfriend_? Girl, you have taste!” The girl’s eyes widened in appreciation. Something about her gaze made Rey very, very possessive.

“Ben? Yes, he is _mine_.”

As if on cue, her husband rushed to her side. “Sweetheart? I’m worried BB is going to start to sugar crash. Should I...?” he nodded toward the hyperactive boy.

Rey smiled at him. “Yes, I think it’s time to go home. Sorry, Kay, it was good to see you.”

“You too. Take care,” the girl waved before her friends dragged her to the dance floor.

“Your friend?” Ben murmured into Rey’s ear as they went to retrieve their son.

“Yep. Just talking about my family,” she beamed, squeezing his hand.

 


End file.
